Enraptured
by SheWolf13
Summary: When Kim's life finally seems to be going in the right direction, it is suddenly turned into her worst nightmare. With Max and the Pack's help she is freed from her cage, but only to come face to face with what she has become: a monster. As if that wasn't enough, things spin out of control when Reese steps into her life, ensuring that it will never be the same ever again.
1. Prologue

_After a very long hiatus, Kim is back and ready for action! Enjoy!_

I own nothing except some original characters I sometimes bring in. The Otherworld and all its characters belong to Kelley Armstrong.

*I want to thank **SuperNatural1985** for all her help, amazing support and excellent editing skills without which this would not be possible. I encourage you all to please read her stories, especially the new and improved _**The Way In: Defiance**_, at the end of which Kim is introduced.

***This scene takes place towards the end of **_**The Way In: Defiance **_**by SuperNatural1985. I strongly suggest you read that before starting this story. In it you will see how Kim is found, her POV on the situation, as well as her first contact with Max and the Pack.**

Prologue

The pain was excruciating. It was like having fire coursing through my veins instead of blood. Every time I tried to move my body protested loudly and painfully. My head felt like it was being weighed down by a hundred ton rock and just turning it to look at the stone wall or at the cage bars made me want to puke. The pain came and went, but it got worse, however, much worse.

I heard a sonorous bang somewhere upstairs, making me jump slightly, my body responding instantly. I groaned and quickly bit down on my lip to keep quite. I needed to listen. Max was up there, somewhere, all alone. He needed to be okay. He hadn't escaped because of me. If he died, I would never forgive myself. Well, if I lived long enough to feel guilt that was. The looks they both gave me every time they saw me… I knew I would soon be dead if Max died. He was the only one standing between us right now.

Another bang went off somewhere. My body tensed. I blinked and sat up. I tried to focus on the shouts that I could now hear, but the words and their meanings were lost to me. The pain was clouding my mind. And the thing Max had given me—the Cure—had only made concentrating harder. It had helped, though, for when she tried to take over. When that happens and the pain takes over, all I want to do is die, but instead I lose myself, lose my mind, my body, everything. I lost it all to _her_.

I heard another shout, but the sound was so close I couldn't help but look up through the bars. A pang rang through my head at the sudden movement but it went unnoticed as I stared in horror at the scene before me. Max, the little boy that looked no older than twelve, was now in front of me and had yanked back one of our captor's head—Bruce?—who easily doubled him in age, height and weight. Without warning, the young boy, who now had a wild and predatory look in his eyes, produced a long knife from out of nowhere and slit the man's throat, leaving a gaping bloody line behind.

Gasping, I sat up and pushed away from the cage bars, suddenly terrified. Max looked up at me with his wild blue/greens eyes, smiling at me as he licked the blood off his arm. I shuddered and a whimper threatened to escape through my dry throat. Suddenly, above the pain that absorbed my body, I felt the familiar twinge that told me _she_ was clawing at the doors for control again. No, not now, please not now.

Suddenly a shadow moved between the bloody scene and me. I blinked hard to fight the shifting in my muscles and the growing pain, but, looking up, I saw a blonde haired young man barely older than me appear at the cage door. I stared up into his startling deep blue eyes and felt something click deep within me. My entire being seemed to come alive. But another wave of pain shattered this new feeling and had me curling into myself.

I screamed and collapsed to the floor. I heard a crash as the cage door was broken and felt as someone took me in their arms. I lashed out, trying to protect myself at the same time as I writhed in pain.

"Shh. I'm not going to hurt you, I promise," said a voice above my head. I opened my eyes to slits and saw the blonde guy again, his blue gaze giving me a moment of calm before a wave of excruciating pain ran through me once more.

"Help," I gasped in a strangled voice, feeling myself tumble to the floor as I heard my joints begin to crack. "Please." I had no idea who this guy was or why he was here, but I knew he wasn't one of _them_.

My gaze clouded as I hazily felt him give my arm a slight squeeze, telling me that I was going to be okay. He said something more, but I was beyond hearing, though his eyes spoke for him. His pure ocean blue eyes told me all I needed to know. He wasn't going to hurt me. His hand came down to my cheek and stroked it gently, letting me feel a spark of energy ignite between us as I fell into darkness, feeling protected and safe.


	2. Ch 1 Awakened

I own nothing except some original characters I sometimes bring in. The Otherworld and all its characters belong to Kelley Armstrong.

*I want to thank SuperNatural1985 for all her help, amazing support and excellent editing skills without which this would not be possible. I encourage you all to please read her stories, especially the new and improved **The Way In: Defiance, **at the end of which Kim is introduced.

Ch 1 Awakened

I didn't want to get up. I didn't want to move. I couldn't move. My body was sore and ached in way too many places. My head hurt as well and I was having a hard time trying to focus my thoughts, so I just rested on the soft mattress, staying warm beneath the sheets in a pleasant, dreamlike haze. But all too soon everything that had happened came crashing over me like a tidal wave and reality sunk back in with an almighty crash.

Gasping, I sat bolt alright, feeling every muscle in my body protest. Blinking rapidly at the bright light, I thought I could hear voices calling my name, though I could barely make it out over the blood pounding in my ears. Before I could do more than make out the makings of a large bedroom, a warm hand touched my shoulder and I quickly spun around and pulled away from the touch, only to feel the move resonate throughout my too sore body.

"Don't move so quickly, Kim, you're only going to hurt yourself." I blinked, making sure that I wasn't imagining the boy in front of me and that my ears weren't trying to fool me.

"Max?" I croaked. He grinned, the smile reaching all the way up to his beautiful eyes, and sat down on the bed, reaching out a hand and placing it over mine. I didn't move. I was still trying to wrap my head around what I was seeing. The last time I had seen him…

Without thinking, I yanked my hand out from beneath his, and instantly regretted it. Max's face fell and his hand retreated back onto his lap.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Kim, I promise. What you saw…" he trailed off, averting his gaze down to the bedspread. I bit my lip and quickly reached out, taking his hand in mine and gripping it tightly.

"I know," I murmured softly, my vocal cords not quite working. Max lifted his gaze back to mine and nodded, his smile long gone. In his eyes I could still see the tortured look that had made me want to trust him and help him—though he actually helped me—in the first place. I won't deny that what I saw disturbed me deeply, but we had been through so much together that I think I understood why he did it. I had been in a front row seat to witness how Bruce and Dustin treated him. Bruce had deserved the ending he had gotten at Max's hands, though I wished that I hadn't seen it.

"How are you feeling?" Max asked softly, his voice flooding with the concern I had grown so accustomed to. I knew full well that if it hadn't been for Max I would have been long dead, or worse. He saved me from things much worse than death, and I owed him everything, but he still worried about me it seemed.

"Sore, but much better than…before," I managed to say. He nodded with a look that said that he had expected this, but he still looked relieved. Maybe it could have been worse, I don't know.

Silently, I looked around the room, seeing an inflatable bed with the sheets undone and wondering who had been sleeping there. Max, perhaps? My heart leapt at the thought that Max cared so much about me, though he had already proven it time and time again, doing things that I never thought anyone would ever do, or ever have to do, for me. My eyes continued to drift over the room and landed on the window seat on the other side of the room where the branches of a tree were clearly visible through the glass.

"You're safe here, Kim," Max suddenly said, a slight edge in his voice. I turned to face him and saw that he was watching me and had probably seen me eyeing the window. I wasn't thinking of escape, though. I had nowhere to go, nowhere to run. My life had been turned inside out the moment I was bitten and turned into a monster. There was nowhere for me to hide, not from _her_.

I trusted Max though, deeply, more than I ever thought possible. And if he said I was safe then I would trust his judgement. Besides, I had never seen him so relaxed and calm in all the time I had known him. It had been impossible in our circumstances. Him being so calm could only mean one thing. They were gone, and now we were probably with the Pack. Had that blonde young man been with the Pack? I wondered briefly, my mind sliding back to the memory of me in his arms, feeling his strong and reassuring presence around me.

I thrust those thoughts aside, leaving them for later. I had other things to worry about. But before I could ask Max if we really were with the Pack, the bedroom door swung open and I gasped. There, frozen in place in the doorway, was _him_. He stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw me, his eyes locking unforgivingly with mine. Oh my.

All I could do was stare, diving head first into the pure blue oceans that were his eyes before I could stop myself. Almost instantly I felt my body tingle all over, my soreness momentarily disappearing. My heart rate picked up and was threatening to go into overdrive. My reaction to this man was unnerving, but I couldn't seem to will myself to look away. I don't think I wanted to look away. All I could see was him, all I could feel was him even if he was on the other side of the room, his eyes pulling me towards him, wrapping me in their spell.

Suddenly I couldn't see him anymore and the spell broke. I blinked, trying to understand the black thing that was now in front of me. It took me a moment to realize that it was Max's sweater and it took me another moment to realize that the soft growl that I could hear was coming from him.

"Max," I heard the young man warn and before me Max stiffened, clenching his fists at his sides, the smell of his anger reaching me.

"She doesn't trust you. She doesn't even know you." Max's growl made a shiver run down my back. He was in full protection mode, just like he had been while I was in that dreadful cage. Was this guy dangerous? I thought we were with the Pack. Maybe I was wrong.

"Then why don't you introduce us?" The young man's response was contained and held none of the menace that Max's did. Slowly, very slowly, Max stepped aside, allowing me to see that the blonde guy was now standing just four feet from the bed. Avoiding his gaze, I saw him step towards me and I tried to look him over as discreetly as possible.

He was tall, broad-shouldered and had a strong muscled body. I flushed as my eyes strolled over his muscular arms which were in full view under his singlet. His firm chest was also visible as it clung mercilessly to him. My insides squirmed and I felt my breathing quicken, so I rapidly pulled my gaze away from his body but not before I caught a glimpse of his wavy blonde hair and piercing blue eyes once more.

"Kim, this is Reese, my brother," Max said stiffly, emphasizing the word brother. I nodded towards him, my mind quickly trying to remember everything that Max had told me about his family. He had mentioned Reese. I had been more out of it than in at the time, but I could remember him telling me about Reese, his brother and protector of sorts. Max trusted him completely from what I could remember. So why was Max so on edge around him now?

Reese took a step towards me then and leaned over the bed, holding out his hand to me. Max's entire form tensed as he watched him closely, standing in Reese's personal space, though Reese didn't seem to care as he waited for me to take his hand, his eyes locked on mine. In the recesses of my mind I realized that he had moved his body between me and Max, but I was too entranced by him to make sense of what I was seeing.

Biting my lip to keep my nervousness down, I leaned towards him and took his hand, instantly receiving a blast of his musky, masculine werewolf scent, my entire body quivering as I felt electricity ignite and sizzle between our touching skins at the same time as my insides flip flopped. Oh God.

"I'm glad to see you finally awake, Kim," he said softly, my ears catching his accent for the first time and I could recall Max mentioning it. Reese gazed at me for a moment longer as I stared at him, still trying to calm my accelerated breathing. His scrutiny made me squirm slightly before he turned back to Max.

"Go tell Elena," Reese said, making those three words sound like an order. Max growled lowly.

"I'm not leaving her." Instantly, the tension in the atmosphere went up ten notches. Max stood taller now, though he still came nowhere near Reese's height which was just a little over 6'. Max was even smaller than my 5'2. Reese growled lowly at him and stepped forward, leering over him with a glare and a challenge. I could feel the battle waging before me, my inner wolf telling me to stay out of it, though I didn't understand what was going on.

"Out," I suddenly heard and all three of us looked over towards the door. There, in the doorway, stood a tall woman, about 5'10, with long blond hair pulled back in a ponytail, holding herself with authority as she stared the young battling men in front of me down. She stood in front of two muscular men, the dark haired one more muscular than the blonde one. "Both of you, out, now," said the woman, who, from what Max had told me, must be the Alpha, Elena, the only other known female werewolf.

The seconds ticked by and neither of the young men in front me moved a muscle, but a low growl from Elena herself made Reese take a step back, though he made no move to leave the room. Elena growled again, ordering them out once more, but neither of the boys took their eyes off of the other. In their eyes I could see what I had already identified as their wolves. It made me tremble, their bodies still poised for battle.

Suddenly, without me even seeing him, the dark haired man—werewolf from his scent—took Reese's shoulder and pulled him back, growling at Max to back down. With a growl Max yanked his gaze away from Reese's to look at me. All I could do was stare back stunned. What the hell was happening? My mind was still trying to catch up, it still hadn't totally woken up, I think, or I had drugs in my system, or the Cure.

The handsome dark haired man started to pull Reese out of the room, ordering Max to move in front of them, but the boy opened his mouth, only to be interrupted by Elena.

"No, you're not staying, Max. Wait for us downstairs." There was no denying the authority in her tone and the implied warning. Max tensed but nodded.

Turning to me, he said, "You can trust them," and walked out of the room, followed by the dark haired man and Reese, whose eyes hadn't left me, though I hadn't dared to look at him. Perplexed, all I could do was stare at the doorway where they disappeared through until I saw Elena take a step towards me.

_Way to send mix messages_, I thought. Honestly, first he gets all tense with Reese and the Pack and then tells me to trust them. What was I even supposed to make of that?

"Kim," Elena said, taking a few more steps towards me, keeping her hands up as if showing me she was unarmed. "My name is Elena. We aren't going to hurt you, hon. Max told you about us?" I nodded. "Then you know we just want to help you." Again I just nodded, not looking her directly in the eyes, my new found instinct telling me not to look the bigger and stronger wolf in the eye. That would mean challenge and the last thing I wanted was to challenge this woman, probably the only female werewolf out there that could help me.

I looked down at the bedspread I was gripping in my hand and heard her come closer to me, and also as the other man—the gorgeous blonde—moved towards me, probably following his leader. I didn't dare look at them. Max said I could trust them, but they were all complete strangers. And all of them were werewolves, monsters, just like me. Plus, Max wasn't here anymore.

Elena sat on the bed in front of me, not saying a word. Against my better judgement, I looked up and met her gaze. In her eyes I could see her wolf peeking out. Almost instantly I felt compelled to look away, but my inner wolf growled at me to maintain eye contact now that I had made it. Instinctively I knew what was going on. She was trying to establish her dominance over me. I didn't want to challenge Elena, not when she actually wanted to help me, but I wasn't going to back down so easily. I was not weak. And I would not let anyone dominate me.

The seconds ticked by and her blue eyes were soon all wolf. The moment I saw irritation flirt across her face I backed down, bowing my head to look down at my lap. My irritation jumped to the surface. I hated the fact that I had just submitted to her, but something deep within me had forced me down.

Hold on. I don't remember wearing a silk night gown when I was in the cage. Where did my jeans go?

"We will look after you, Kim, and that includes clothing." I looked up at her and nodded, ignoring the guy in the background. I wasn't entirely comfortable with this, but it's not like I could get my own clothes or fend for myself. I was alone now. "The Pack is here for you and will also protect you in every way it can," she added as if reading my mind.

"Even from _her_?" The question was out of my mouth before I could stop it. The blonde man tensed behind Elena, but I kept my gaze focused on the Alpha who wasn't giving anything away it seemed. She took me in for a moment and the turned, nodding curtly to the man who nodded back, his eyes hovering over me for a moment as if in warning, and left without another word, closing the door behind him.

"You don't need protection from her, hon." She sighed and gazed at me for a moment, as if searching for something. "How are you feeling?" I told her what I told Max, that I was sore but better than before. She nodded but continued to search my eyes. "And you don't feel a Change coming on?"

"Um, no, I don't think so. I hurt, but a lot less than when I was…you know, with them." She shook her head slightly, sympathy lighting up her features.

"It will hurt a lot more when the Change actually starts." Oh no. More than it had when I was with Bruce and Dustin? "Do you feel a strain on your tendons, like someone is trying to pull them apart?"

"A bit," I said, trying to hide my sudden panic. She nodded again, still searching, but she must have found what she was looking for because she abruptly stood.

"How about we get some food in you and then we can talk? You have been through a lot and have been unconscious for a long time. I'm sure you're hungry." She smiled slightly at that, and held out a hand to help me up.

"Um," I said and shifted, trying to cover my body with the bed sheets as best I could. "Is there any way I could, er, get changed?"

"Oh, of course," Elena said and spun around, striding over to the wardrobe. "You can have a shower if you would like." She gestured towards the other door in the room and I nodded, though she didn't see me as she was rummaging around in some plastic bags.

I hesitated, looking down at my body again. Not only had someone changed my clothes but someone had also washed me. I knew because I could remember all too well the state I had been in in the cage. Blood, dirt and who knows what else had covered my body as well as Max's.

"What's wrong, hon?" Elena asked gently. She was watching me closely in the mirror in the wardrobe door, turning to face me when I looked over at her.

"Um, did you…er…wash me?"

"Yes, of course. We had to fix your wounds, so we cleaned you as well. Plus, with our heightened sense of smell neither you nor Max smelled very well," she smiled. "Max and I bathed you," she added quickly when she saw the horror on my face. I breathed a soft sigh of relief at her words. Max was okay. He had seen me while I Changed half way to a wolf, so I guess I didn't mind him seeing me naked, no matter how awkward it was.

Slowly, since the soreness and tenderness still consumed my body, I slid off the bed. Within seconds my knees had buckled and I was sprawled on the floor, a fresh new pain added into the mix proceeding from my knees.

"Kim, honey, are you okay?" Elena's concerned voice asked as she crouched down in front of me, looking for injuries.

"Um, yeah, I think so. My legs…aren't working so well, I think." I blinked, trying to focus my eyes. God, why was the floor moving?

"It's normal, hon. Your body is still weak from the Change and the Cure. Here," she said, her gentle yet firm grip taking a hold of my arms and hauling me up. My world spun again, so I held on tightly to Elena's arms. Once everything had stopped wobbling, including my legs, I let go of her. Tentatively she let go of me too, but didn't step back immediately. "Okay?"

I nodded and took a small step towards the bathroom door. My legs ached and complained but didn't give way. Good enough. I stepped into the large bathroom and Elena kindly asked me to leave the door open just in case. I inwardly agreed and did as she asked.

I took a hot shower but didn't dawdle. I was always a little uncomfortable in unfamiliar showers, using someone else's shampoos and things. Besides, my legs still hurt a lot and I was afraid they would give way at any second.

While I showered my mind went over what Max had told me about the Pack and its members, or at least, what I could remember. I had been too delirious at times to be able to pay attention to what Max was saying or what was happening around me. There was one event, though, that stuck in my mind and I knew I would never be able to get it out. I felt sick at the memory so I quickly pushed it away. At least Max had gotten his revenge against one of his tormentors.

Once I was done, I climbed out of the shower and grabbed a towel, drying myself off, my eyes falling onto a neat pile of clothes beside the basin. On a closer inspection I found that each item still had a price tag on. And it was all my size.

Tears suddenly started forming in my eyes and I honestly didn't know why. Maybe the events of the last few weeks were finally getting to me, breaking through my defences at this act of kindness? Possibly. Or maybe I had finally caught onto what was happening? No, not really. I was still in a daze, stunned, shocked, trying to fit all the pieces together, though one thing was for certain, a fact as undeniable as the sun brings the day. _I was a werewolf. _

"Kim?" Elena's voice broke into me reverie. I snapped out of it and realized that a tear had rolled down my face. So much for not seeming weak.

I quickly wiped my tear filled eyes and reached for the clothes, pulling them on as I called to Elena that I would be out in a moment. Apart from clean underwear I had a new pair of jeans, a tank top and a warm-looking woollen pullover.

As I looked myself over in the mirror, a part of me was still bewildered at the fact that they had gotten clothes for me. I mean, who does that nowadays? Buy things for and take care of absolute strangers? But then again, Max had explained that the Pack had helped him and he had said, without a trace of a doubt, that they would help me, protect me, and care for me, just like they had done for him.

Sighing softly at my reflection, I turned around and exited the bathroom. I might not know these people, but they were my only chance of survival, and Max trusted them which was mostly what put my mind at ease. Plus, I owed Max my life and I cared for him so much after everything that we had been through and everything that he had done for me. There was no way I could leave him. Then again, I really had nowhere to go. I didn't want to face my parents.

Thinking about my parents made more tears swell up and fall before I could stop them. Frustrated with myself, I swiped my eyes angrily and looked in the mirror. My eyes were a little red and so was my nose. With any luck Elena wouldn't notice. Taking a deep breath, I walked back into the bedroom I had woken up in.

Elena was waiting for me on the bed reading a book. She looked up when I entered and frowned, immediately standing up and coming towards me, taking my hand in hers and rubbing it gently.

"It's okay, sweetie, everything is going to be okay." She lifted a hand and gently brushed her thumb over my cheek, cupping it. For some reason, I felt soothed by her touch and concern. I'm not sure why. "You're Pack now. We're going to help you through this, alright?" I nodded slightly, blinking hard to hold back more tears caused by her abrupt concern and words, but a couple more fell free.

"I'm Pack?" I asked weakly, brushing away the tears with my free hand.

"If that's what you want, Kim, then yes, you are. Here we can help you, protect you and care for you. Alone…" She left the sentence hanging, a grim look on her face. I nodded, taking in the fact that she had repeated Max's words from before, but also grimly acknowledged the fact that I already knew what would happen if I went off on my own. Max was a good example, unfortunately, and my experience was all the convincing I needed.

"Are you up to meeting the Pack or would you rather rest?" she asked gently. I eyed her for a moment, liking the fact that she was giving me a choice and not ordering me around like she had everyone else, though if I joined the Pack then maybe she would treat me the same way. Bruce had done the same, though he hadn't been as kind, and I now understood that he had been the Alpha between him, Dustin and Max.

My eyes strode over to the now made bed and then back to Elena. "I think I want to meet the Pack."

I was exhausted, though all I had done was have a shower, and the last thing I wanted was to face a pack of wolves. But I had to do this. This was my future and the sooner I faced it, the sooner I would be able to put the pieces in their places and find my place in my new life.

"I should probably warn you about the boys then." Her face suddenly turned serious and I could see that she was chewing something over in her mind. She gave my hand a slight squeeze before letting it go. "Did Max explain what being a female werewolf means, or what she smells like to other werewolves?" In her eyes I could see a trace of fear, the same fear that had haunted Max's face when he had explained this to me.

"I know that my smell calls to male werewolves, that I smell like…like a bitch in heat." Max's words, not mine, but true nonetheless. I had experienced firsthand what effect my smell had on male werewolves, except for Max, of course, and the reason was obvious. "He also told me that female werewolves are extremely rare." Elena nodded, a hint of pride touching her features.

"Yes, and that is why the boys were overly territorial just a few moments ago. Max is very protective of you." She smiled at this. "He cares for you deeply, and I think he still feels the need to protect you even if you are safe here. And Reese, well, he's a male and he's a werewolf. He's been here by your side with Max looking over you. Since we are rare, we are cherished within the Pack and the men are very territorial and overly protective when it comes to us. Once you start trusting them and getting used to them, they will start coddling you, a lot." I nodded, flushing. So Reese had been watching over me? I had no idea what to even make of that, nor did I know why my insides squirmed deliciously at the thought of him caring for me. And the men would coddle me? I was I close contact person and loved hugs and all that, but I wasn't sure how I felt about being cuddled by the two men that had been in here just moments ago. Or did they want more than that?

"And will they…um…try to…?" I blushed, looking away from her wide eyes.

"No," she said firmly and almost instantly I felt her hand on my shoulder. I looked up into her eyes and knew that she had been where I was now before. She knew what I was going through. Female werewolves were made, not born. "Pack werewolves have very good control over themselves and their wolves. But I will see to it personally that that never happens, unless it's consensual." I felt myself flushing at her words, but she was already moving on, not allowing me to comment. "Plus, the boys have had enough time to get used to your scent. They won't do anything, I promise. Their protectiveness comes with the territory of being a werewolf."

"Okay," I said softly, and Elena gave my shoulder a light squeeze before turning to open the door. Taking a deep breath, I followed Elena out of the room, my mind still going over her words. She said that the men would be territorial around me. Why did that sound like they were going to fight over me? In my heart, though, I knew that wasn't true. They wouldn't fight for _me_, but for _her_.

"Thank you," I said quickly at her retreating back as I followed her out. She turned and looked at me questioningly, raising her eyebrow. "For the clothes, and well, for everything really. For saving us, for looking after me while I was unconscious…" Elena waved her hand, silencing me.

"Pack means that we'll look after you, Kim. You don't need to thank us." And with that she turned around and headed for the stairs, leaving me to follow.

As we made our way downstairs, my mind started to wake up, though my body still felt like a truck had run over it, and I was forced to relive the events of the past weeks. A sob threatened to escape from my throat, but I held it back. This was no time to get emotional. I needed to keep it together. My wolf refused to look weak before the other werewolves, even though I had already cracked with Elena upstairs. But no more.

Hugging the pullover to me, we hit the bottom floor and I instantly heard the sound of whining and whispering. I frowned and followed Elena down the hallway to where I could see Max's small frame squatting down on the floor beside a door that was cracked open. He was telling someone to shush and to stay quiet as we approached him from behind. As we got closer, I realized that there were two whines.

"Max, what are you doing?" Elena asked, not unkindly. Max jumped up and quickly closed the door, but the whines turned into howls, and Max grimaced and looked down, biting his lip.

"I didn't want them in the way or to annoy Kim. I thought this would be best for now," Max said softly, looking at his feet still. I had the feeling he was trying to look even smaller than he already was.

I stared between him and Elena and wondered if Elena intimidated him, but it didn't take me long to realize that that wasn't the case. Max looked ashamed, not scared. Nothing like what he had looked like when Bruce and Dustin had been around.

Elena sighed and glanced at me before stepping forward and opening the door. Two small huskies came tumbling out, immediately jumping up at Max, whining for his attention. Max bent down and patted them, looking up at Elena who nodded. I was still frozen in place when Max smiled at me, beckoning me to him and the little puppies.

Not understanding anything at all, I took a step towards them and hunched down. Almost instantly the puppies came at me, having found someone new to smell and jump on. I petted them and smiled. I had always had pets, cats and dogs, in my home, so this was something familiar—probably the only familiar thing around here.

"This one is Brick," Max said, pointing at one of the pups at my feet, "and this one is Aiden." I smiled down at Aiden who was trying to nip my finger while Bick turned his attention back to his master. "These are the only dogs you will be able to touch, you know."

I looked up and frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Werewolves can't be near other animals," Max said matter-of-factly. I blinked, confused, and stared at him.

Elena cleared her throat then and said, "Werewolves smell like wolves, or partly like them. So our scent confuses them. Most dogs will run when they smell you, but some might attack you, unfortunately. These won't do either because they have been with us for a while now and are used to our scent."

I stared at her and then looked down at the pup licking my fingers. There were so many things I needed to learn, so many things I didn't know. Without the Pack, I knew my chances of surviving alone were less than zero—a fact that was becoming clearer and clearer by the minute.

"Max," Elena said then, waving her hand towards the dogs. Max nodded and with a regretful look scooped up the dogs and shoved them through the door, closing it tightly shut before the dogs could get out again. The dogs started whining again as soon as the door closed, but a low growl from Elena shut them up. Before I could even take in what she had just done, Max took my hand and tugged me along behind Elena.

As we approached a door further down the hallway, I could feel myself starting to tremble slightly. The dogs had distracted me, but the time had come. Before entering, Elena turned to me and asked me if I was sure I wanted to do this, that we could do this later if I wanted. I just shook my head, murmuring that I was fine which was a downright lie. I was trembling from head to toe from my sudden nervousness, wondering if I had gone insane during my imprisonment. Was I really going to willingly walk into a room full of unknown werewolves? Yes, because I needed them, more than I had ever needed anyone in my life.

Pushing my anxiety aside as best I could, I gestured to Elena that I was ready. With a nod she grabbed the doorknob and swung the door open, striding into the room. I took a deep breath and tried to focus my thoughts. I always hated meeting new people, but I had to do this. My life and my future depended on these people, on these werewolves. So with all the courage that I could muster and holding on tightly to Max's small hand, I walked into the room full of people.

I instantly felt like they had been waiting for me, which they probably had been. All eyes fell on me as I stepped into the room, freezing me in place. A blush crept onto my face and I quickly looked down, feeling very self-conscious now. Before I could do more than feel the first twinge of regret for coming here, I felt Max give me a hard squeeze.

"It's okay, Kim," he murmured softly, rubbing his fingers against my knuckles, pulling me close to him. I nodded and inhaled deeply, trying to relax. Max was here. I would be okay.

"Kim," Elena said and I looked over at her as she gestured towards one of the many men in the room. "This is Jeremy Danvers."

As the black haired man strode forward, I was immensely grateful that Max had talked to me about the Pack. All I could remember about Jeremy was that he was the former Alpha and Clayton's surrogate father. It was all I really needed to know in that moment.

"Welcome to the Pack, Kimberly," he said softly, offering me his hand. Gingerly I took it, taking in his over 6' stature, his lean yet muscled form, and the fact that his dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, his bangs partly hiding his Asian heritage at the edge of his too dark eyes.

"Thank you," I whispered, not really knowing what else to say. I hadn't really agreed to join the Pack, but I was glad I wouldn't have to ask to be a part of it. I had no idea how I would have done it. I wasn't even sure how a werewolf joined the Pack. Max hadn't said anything. Maybe there were trials or tests or something. Thinking that made me really glad that I was already a part of the Pack, or so it seemed.

I maintained eye contact with Jeremy for as long as I dared while I shook his hand, but looked away as soon as he let go. The man held a lot of power and authority, even if he was no longer Alpha. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him take a step back and Max squeezed my hand reassuringly. I was so glad to have him by my side. I would have probably gone running from the room ages ago if it hadn't been for him. He was like the crutch holding me in place right then.

"And this is Antonio and Nick Sorrentino." The man that had practically dragged Reese out of the room upstairs strode forward as did a man that looked to be his brother. I was momentarily confused. Nick was supposed to be Antonio's son, but there only seemed to be a few years between them as both men looked to be in their thirties, maybe early forties for Antonio, but still.

"Werewolves age slowly," Max explained softly when I didn't make a move to take Antonio's outstretched hand, my confusion getting the better of me.

"Oh," I murmured and flushed, quickly taking the man's hand. I could recall Max telling me about him, about how he liked Antonio best and that he was just like a huge teddy bear with lots of muscle. He had so much muscle, in fact, that in a fight between him and the Hulk, my money was on him.

Antonio was handsome, with heart-stopping brown eyes that were smiling at me as he shook my hand. He had flowing wavy dark brown hair and olive coloured skin much like my own. He gripped my hand firmly, but his touch was gentle, delicate.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" he asked gently. Letting go of his hand, I quickly realized why he was one of Max's favourite people. He cared, even about me who he didn't even know yet. Instantly I knew I would like this man as well.

"Better, sir," I said softly, meeting his gaze now. I held it for a few moments and then looked away, feeling the pull from within me to submit to him, no matter how hard I fought it.

"Antonio is fine, hon," he smiled, his eyes twinkling as he stepped aside and Nick strode forward. Even through my nervousness, I was dumbstruck by him. He was gorgeous. He had his father's hair and beautiful eyes, but Nick was taller than his father's 5'8, much taller, and wasn't as bulky, but he still had plenty of muscle. Plus, he had a smile that would make any woman swoon and looks that would make any model tremble.

"It's nice to finally see you awake, Kim. You're even more beautiful with your eyes open," he grinned. I gasped, flushing yet again, and Max quickly pulled me closer to him, wrapping his arm around my waist now. Nick ignored him as he offered me his hand, his eyes going from me to somewhere on my left where I knew Reese was standing and a low growl could be heard. Biting my lip, I took his hand, wishing the earth would swallow me whole.

Max's body was tense against mine and he didn't relax until Nick had backed up all the way to the other side of the room beside two children that I had failed to notice until then.

"My children, Kate and Logan," Elena said, though I hadn't really needed her to tell me so. The resemblance was obvious. The twins were probably six or seven years old; the boy had straight blonde hair the shade of his mother's hair and the girl had curly blonde hair more a golden tone. Both had dark blue eyes, though the girl was taller and bigger than her brother. Both of them stood close to the blonde haired muscled man that had been upstairs.

"And that's Clay, my husband." I nodded, already knowing this. None of them made a move towards me, but they were all watching me closely. I shifted uncomfortably in Max's grip and he tightened his hold, murmuring that it was okay.

Clayton was gorgeous, though he was at least twenty years my senior. He had golden blonde hair just like his daughter and the same dark blue eyes. He was taller than Antonio, but didn't have as much muscle, though he looked just as threatening.

As the silence stretched, the little girl, Kate, pulled at her father's hand and he leaned down so she could whisper in his ear. Even with my newfound super hearing I couldn't hear what she asked him. Clayton shook his head at his daughter and then stood up straight again, watching me closely.

"And this is Noah Sorrentino," Elena said, gesturing to the only person she hadn't introduced yet, apart from Reese and Max. The young man that strode forward with a shy smile was younger than me, maybe by a few years. He had light brown hair that fell into his dark eyes. He was about the same height as Antonio, meaning he wasn't very tall, but he still towered over me.

"Hi," he smiled as he shook my hand. I smiled back with a hi of my own, remembering what Max had told me about Noah. I knew that he wasn't really a Sorrentino—even his scent betrayed his surname—but I couldn't remember why. I could also remember Max telling me that Noah was sweet and that I would love him as well as Reese.

"And of course, you have already met Max and Reese," Elena said. I nodded but didn't look over at Reese. I didn't want to lose what little composure I had left. I noticed Nick looking between me and Reese with a slight frown and even Antonio looked surprised. I flushed.

"Um," I heard Elena say and looked up to see her looking at Reese before turning to me. "Our other Pack members aren't here because once we got you and Max out they went home, though the Sorrentinos decided to stay." I nodded, still trying to figure out what had just happened.

Suddenly, and most embarrassingly, my stomach grumbled. Loudly. My already flourishing blush must be tomato red by now.

"Food," Max said quickly, unwrapping his arm from around my waist and grabbing my hand once more, pulling me towards the door. Antonio chuckled and strode forward, following us out of the room Max seemed anxious to get away from.

I let Max drag me from the room, down the hall and into the kitchen. I was just too hungry to fight him, and besides, I just wanted to get away from that room full of people. Max let go of my hand next to a stool at the island counter and waited for me to hop on before speaking.

"You are so brave," he said proudly, taking my hand and rubbing his thumb over my knuckles. I shook my head slightly and shrugged. I didn't see it like that. I felt like I had really gone crazy if I had just been in a room full of male werewolves after knowing how my new scent affected them.

"You are, Kim, trust me." I sighed but said nothing. I was too tired and too hungry to argue, and thankfully, my stomach grumbled again, reminding Max why we had come to the kitchen.

Gently and slowly, so I could see what he was doing, he lifted my hand to his lips, his eyes never leaving mine as he kissed it gently. I smiled feebly and he let my hand go, setting about to get my food. I wanted to tell him not to worry and that I would get it myself, but once I had sat down I knew I wasn't going to be able to get back up any time soon. I was still too sore, and exhaustion was slowly settling in.

Antonio, who had come in right behind us, went over to help Max, but the small boy growled at him that he had it. Antonio's eyes widened slightly before he looked at me and then back at Max.

"Maximus," Antonio said lowly, taking Max's arm, stopping him as he reached for a bowl. "Calm down. Kim is no longer in danger. You're being a bit too protective. I want to help her as well." I stared at the pair of them, watching as Max clenched his fist while he locked gazed with Antonio. It took only a moment for him to submit to the older werewolf, nodding slightly as he looked down.

"You did good, kid, and I'm so proud of you, but she's safe now. Relax a little, okay?" Antonio's tone was soft as he gazed down tenderly at the young man. Max nodded, biting his lower lip.

"Sorry, dad," Max murmured softly. Antonio smiled and said that it was okay, squeezing Max's shoulder in a tender manner before coming over to me and took the stool beside me. Max glanced at him, eyeing him warily, but said nothing as he continued to work.

As Max worked and Antonio offered me fruit from the fruit bowl which I gratefully accepted, I couldn't help but wonder about Max and Antonio's relationship. If someone asked me I would say that they looked like father and son, though they shared no physical relation. Upstairs Max hadn't obeyed Elena, at least not immediately, but he had listened to Antonio instantaneously. Obviously Max trusted and loved this man. He had even called him dad. But did Antonio consider Max his son?

Instantly I felt something rise within me, jumping to protect Max. I would do everything in my power to stop Max from being hurt. Antonio seemed like a good man, but I didn't know him so I had no idea if he would hurt Max or not. Max obviously loved the man, and Antonio seemed to care for Max, but after being with Bruce and Dustin I just couldn't be sure.

"Kim," Antonio said softly and I slowly turned to him, keeping my hands on the counter to make sure I didn't fall from this too high stool. Concern filled his eyes and I was momentarily stunned. Was he concerned about me or Max? Either way, this man cared a lot. "I know that we still don't really know each other, but I want you to know that if you ever need to talk, I would me more than happy to help you. If you ever have any questions or just need someone to talk to, I'm here, okay?"

A lump had formed in my throat while he spoke and now it wouldn't move. I swallowed, blinking back tears. Did I really think someone this kind could hurt Max? "Thank you," I murmured. I knew I was definitely emotionally unstable after everything that had happened which explained my sudden tears.

Antonio nodded with a small smile and then turned to watch Max just as the door behind us opened. I didn't turn to look who it was, but moments later someone sat down on my other side on the free stool, someone with a very delicious scent.

Max spun around as soon as Reese's scent reached him, dropping what he was doing to glare at Reese, a low growl escaping his throat. Suddenly, Reese laid a hand over one of mine and growled back, louder and fiercer than Max had. Oh my.


	3. Ch 2 Ignited

I own nothing except some original characters I sometimes bring in. The Otherworld and all its characters belong to Kelley Armstrong.

*I want to thank SuperNatural1985 for all her help, amazing support and excellent editing skills without which this would not be possible. I encourage you all to please read her stories, especially the new and improved **The Way In: Defiance**, at the end of which Kim is introduced.

Ch 2 Ignited

I held my breath. My mind still trying to assimilate what was going on. The tension in the air was so thick I could smell it, the smell of Reese's anger mixing with it making me slightly noxious. What was going on? Were they seriously fighting over me as Elena had said they would? Maybe I should get my hand out from beneath Reese's then. But even as I thought it, I knew I couldn't. Something deep within me wasn't letting me. And the lightning that was now sizzling between our skins had completely turned my mind to mush.

"Reese," Max growled, taking a step towards us, his body shifting into a position I instantly recognized as threatening. I shook my head slightly at him, hoping Max would back down, but his eyes were fixated on Reese.

Max took another step forward and Reese growled lowly again, making the young boy stop in his tracks. The young werewolf cocked an eyebrow and smiled wickedly. Reese's grip on my hand tightened considerably and a low rumble sounded from deep within his chest. On my other side I felt Antonio tense. He had intervened upstairs, why wasn't he doing it now? I wondered desperately.

Suddenly Max took a deliberate step forward. Reese jumped to his feet and growled loudly, squeezing my hand beneath his as Antonio stood up beside me, ordering the boys to back down. Neither of them paid attention to the older wolf as they started a stare down, Reese's grasp becoming tighter and tighter.

"Reese," I breathed when I started losing feeling in my fingers, turning to look at him for the first time since he had come into the room. I had never said his name before, but I instantly wanted to say it again, to feel that soft caress over my lips that was his name.

Reese froze, his features softening immediately as our eyes met and my insides flip flopped. And it was as if the world was put on pause as he closed his eyes, his breathing slowly evening out. I waited with baited breath and neither Antonio nor Max moved a muscle. As the seconds ticked by Reese's grip gentled and gradually let up until he was merely resting his hand over mine.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into the room, his blazing eyes opening to meet mine. I gazed at him feeling my body come alive under his touch and his startling blue gaze. Suddenly it was much too hot in the kitchen and all I wanted was to get closer to Reese, much closer. But before I could, he took a step back, abandoning my hand as he turned and left the kitchen without another word or backwards glance.

Silence filled the room and a sudden emptiness flowed through me at Reese's departure. I blinked, utterly confused with my reaction. How could this man affect me so? What was he doing to me?

"Kim?" Antonio's soft voice said, bursting into my bubble of confusion. "Are you okay?" I nodded slightly and turned in my chair so I could look up at him. His puppy dog brown eyes roamed over my face, making sure that I was indeed okay I suppose, before he turned his gaze over to Max who still hadn't moved.

"Maximus, why don't you go see if your brother is all right?" Antonio told him, the question not sounding like a suggestion at all, but rather like an order. Max bristled slightly, no doubt noticing the same as me, and looked at Antonio, a question in his eyes. "I'll look after her, kid, don't worry." I was still trying to digest the fact that Max was still so protective of me and trying to understand Reese's behaviour as Max left the kitchen in search of his brother and Antonio stood, going around the counter to grab some cups and juice.

I was hardly aware of the older werewolf working his way around the kitchen until he asked, "Apple or orange juice?"

"Um," I said, still lost in my inner turmoil over what I had just witnessed. Had they seriously just growled at each other? _Growled_? "Orange juice is okay, thanks."

I suppose it was the wolf that made them do that when they had confronted each other, but why had they even come to a confrontation? Was it really because of me? Max was always protective of me, ever since we met, so him I understood somewhat, but Reese? His behaviour was so confusing. And why, oh why, was my body responding so deliciously to him when it had never done anything similar with anyone else?

"Confused?" I jumped slightly when the voice came accompanied by a touch to the shoulder. I turned my head to see a sympathetic smile playing at Antonio's lips. I nodded, biting my lip and looking away. Was I that easy to read?

"It's quite normal, sweetheart. Hell, even I'm confused." I looked up at him at that and he let his hand slide away from my shoulder as he went back to where he had been continuing Max's work, shaking his head slightly and mouthing something I didn't catch. Only now did I realize that a cup of orange juice was in front of me. I gulped it down before Antonio brought me a plate with two large hamburgers. God, I was so hungry.

As I took the first bite out of my huge burger, Antonio refilled my cup and filled up two more. Without looking at me he grabbed a vial from his pants' pocket and pulled the stopper out, pouring the white powdery content into one of the cups. I gaped at him as he stirred the juice and the white stuff. Suddenly he looked up, meeting my astonished eyes, and winked at me, grinning mischievously as he put the vial back into his pocket.

"Honey, do you know how protective Max is of you?" he asked, still smiling, as if he hadn't just poured God-knows-what into Max's drink.

"Er…very?" Jeez, even the testosterone show I had just witnessed proved he was more than very protective of me. Antonio cocked an eyebrow at me, probably thinking the same as me.

"More than very, hon. So much, in fact, that he hasn't been sleeping very much. We've kept you under for a while to make sure you wouldn't suffer while your body got rid of the Cure and still went through the last vestiges of the Change. But you're still hurt and that made Max very anxious as he watched over you, and it didn't help that Reese was right by his side." He sighed, his grin sliding away as he brushed a hand through his wavy brown hair looking frustrated.

"But I'm safe now," I murmured in between bites, completely perplexed by Antonio's frustration.

"Yes, but Max went through a lot so you wouldn't be hurt, sweetheart." I felt myself pale as the memory washed over me. Swallowing my food with difficulty, I nodded, understanding Max's behaviour a little better. He had been through too much to see me hurt now. How didn't I see this before?

"And Reese?" I whispered the question, afraid of the answer and half hoping that Antonio didn't hear it. He had. He eyed me as he frowned slightly. "I mean, is my scent really so powerful?" Antonio's eyebrows shot up at that.

"No. Male werewolves have the power of self-control, though some choose not to enforce it. Reese has a lot of self-control. However, I suggest you talk to him about it."

I nodded, my mouth too full to say anything—not that I would know what to say anyway. I wasn't looking forward to talking to Reese about that, not at all.

Silence reigned between us as I ate—none too lady-like, I might add—and Antonio munched on some fruit. Max strolled in a while later looking about as happy as he had been when he'd left. Looks like his talk with Reese hadn't gone so well. Nibbling on the remnants of my last hamburger, I eyed Max as he came over to us and Antonio handed him a sandwich with his orange juice. Antonio winked at me again as Max gulped it down and I was just about to warn him, not entirely sure if I could trust Antonio even if Max had called him dad, but it was already too late. Besides, I could now clearly see the dark bags under Max's eyes. God, how could he care so much for me? Though, when I really thought about it, I probably would have done the same for him, but I might not have been so protective, just very cautious.

Grabbing some fruit from the fruit basket, Max sat down beside me, handing me some of the fruit which I gladly took. He smiled, his eyes drooping slightly. The drugs must have been very strong then. Maybe they had to be because he was a werewolf. I honestly didn't know. Again, something else I didn't know.

The three of us ate in silence as the drugs took effect over Max, but it wasn't an awkward silence. It seemed right, appropriate, though I had always enjoyed a good conversation during a meal. However, Antonio passing me fruit as he munched on his sandwiches while Max got up and made his own snack wasn't really a meal, but still. Surely such silence with a stranger should feel uncomfortable, even if Max was there.

Suddenly, as Max worked on the counter in front of me, I noticed a long white line on Max's forearm. I stared at it, wondering where it could have come from, and then it hit me. I glanced down at my own arm to see the scars of our ordeal. I frowned down at the white line. Surely after only a week it shouldn't have scarred already. I let this go, thinking that I would worry about it later. I was still too hungry to worry about much right then.

As I finished my third banana, my ninth piece of fruit, I started to wonder what was wrong with me. Why the hell had I just eaten a meal fit for at least two people, maybe even more? But I barely had time to ponder this as Max grabbed the plate full of sandwiches he had just made and started to come towards me, stumbling as he reached the counter. Hastily and clumsily I stood, rushing towards Max, but Antonio reached him first, catching the plate of food before it hit the floor.

"You okay, sweetheart?" he asked gently as he sunk to the floor with Max in his arms and I reached them, kneeling down beside Max. I quickly grabbed his hand and discreetly monitored his pulse. My trust in Antonio was still limited despite Max's trust in him.

Max nodded, trying desperately to keep his eyelids open. Guilt filled me for a split second before I remembered that he needed to rest. I owed him that and more, so much more.

"Sleep, son. I'll take care of Kim," Antonio whispered, tenderly caressing the young boy's face. My breath caught at that. So he did consider Max his son. Max's squeeze on my hand brought my attention back down to him, but my mind was still buzzing.

"Kim," Max murmured, fighting a losing battle as his eyelids fluttered shut. Antonio sighed softly, in relief I think, and brushed a hand through his hair. Rapidly, I felt his pulse again and found that it was normal as was his breathing. I breathed a soft sigh of relief as well as Antonio gently stood, keeping Max close to his body, saying nothing about my examination.

"I promise you that this is an extreme measure, hon, but we needed him out of the way and he needed to sleep," Antonio said as I stood and sat back down, more relaxed than I had been before now that I knew Max was being well taken care of and by someone that did indeed love and care for him. I know I probably shouldn't be so quick to trust him or the Pack, but Max had spoken so much about them and how they would take care of us and save us that I guess I had ended up believing it. And so far they had been nothing but kind and gentle to me. I felt like I could trust them at some instinctive level, though I couldn't really understand the reasons behind it.

Antonio smiled down apologetically at Max and in his eyes I could see the love he had for my protector. How could I not trust a man who had that look in his eyes, a look so full of love for the small boy in his arms?

"There are things you need to know and things you need to do which would have been very difficult with Max glued to your hip. Not to mention the dominance dance we would have to do every time a male werewolf—meaning the majority of the Pack—comes near you." An apologetic smile for me now. "Plus, you need to learn to trust us on your own, not because of Max."

I nodded my agreement, suddenly feeling very vulnerable now that Max was unconscious. I knew I was safe, but the feeling just refused to go away. Max had been with me almost since the moment I was bitten. He was the life preserver I had held onto with everything I had when I entered this new life, knowing that I needed to trust him if I wanted to survive, though I hadn't been sure I wanted to at the time. After all, why live to be a monster? But seeing Max, Antonio and the Pack made me realize that I wasn't as much a monster as I thought I was, or that Bruce and Dustin had had me believe while I was their prisoner.

Antonio shifted Max in his arms until he was comfortable and had just opened his mouth to say something when Elena strode into the kitchen. Seeing Max in Antonio's arms, she nodded at the older werewolf and smiled kindly at me.

"I know it's the last thing you need right now, but we have to talk, Kim, before you can really settle in here." She looked sympathetic, but the look in her eyes told me that I would do what she said one way or another, and that I really didn't have a choice.

Nodding, I followed her out of the room, listening as Antonio came out behind us but headed towards the stairs while Elena and I went back into the now empty room where I had met the Pack. Now that no one was watching my every move I was able to really take in the room.

Shelves and more shelves overflowing with books lined the far wall, looking all too enticing in that moment. Suddenly all I wanted was too sink into one of the couches and just read, read my way out of the life that had been thrust upon me. A life, I might add, that I only ever thought existed in the imaginary worlds written on the pages of my books.

Still following Elena, I sat down on one of the couches in front of the fireplace and wondered how nice it must be to cuddle here with a good book in the middle of winter. Elena took a seat in front me and offered me some of the sandwiches that were on the coffee table which I had failed to notice before. Realizing I was still a little hungry, I ate, wondering if it was normal for me to still be hungry, just as Elena started talking.

An hour later I was sure my head was about to burst from information overload. Elena had gone to town, making sure she left nothing out and I mean nothing. Some things I had already known because of Max, but most of it had been news for me. Not only had she talked about the Pack and its role but also about the supernatural community. Apparently, werewolves weren't the only things that went bump in the night.

Massaging my forehead, I tried to digest the last thing Elena had talked to me about. My place in the Pack. Hierarchy was important, very important for werewolves because it was so important for wolves. So my age supposedly put me between Reese and Noah, but since I still didn't have control over my Changes and I was a newly turned werewolf, I would not have any of the duties I should have because of my position until I was ready. Honestly, it all sounded very old worldish to me and my mind balked at the thought of being beneath any one, but I said nothing. I was only just beginning to understand what Elena being Alpha meant.

"So you give orders and everyone is just supposed to follow them without question?" I asked, looking up at her. She sighed and nodded as if this didn't seem like a dictatorship or anything at all.

"Everyone obeys because they trust me to make the right decisions for them and the Pack," she explained, but when she saw this didn't help she continued. "It's in our instincts to follow the Alpha, Kim, or rather, in the wolves'. Just as you feel the instinct to look away from me when I challenge you because you know I am your Alpha. Born werewolves live with this instinct their entire lives, but I know it's harder to accept when you're bitten. Just give it time, hon. It took me a while to get used to it as well."

She smiled and I nodded slightly, wondering if I really could fit in here, but I knew I had no choice. Elena had already explained what tended to happen to lone wolves. It would be even worse for a newly turned female lone wolf—life expectancy was less than a few weeks. Even once I had control of my Changes I wouldn't live long. Too many hormone filled werewolves out there with no self-control whatsoever.

"You could always leave, Kim, if you feel uncomfortable or unable to live within the Pack, but I already told you what would happen," Elena said, folding her hands in front of her. "Once the word got out of your existence, you would have a target on your head. Every werewolf in the country would be after you. Eventually one will catch you." She paused, letting the knowledge of what he would do to me sink in. "You would be dead shortly after that."

"But if I stay here, I will still have every werewolf in the country after me," I said, frustrated. Why did I have to have any one chasing after me? Why couldn't they just leave me alone? Didn't I have enough with having a monster enough that I had to be hunted because of it?

"Yes, you will, because that is the life of the female werewolf. But if you stay, you will always have the Pack behind you. Like you said, you will still be chased, but it will much harder for them to reach you. And those that do would not get the chance to hurt you."

So this was the life of the female werewolf. I would be chased whatever I chose, but I was safer here where I would have to follow orders like a blind man. Could I do that? Could I really just put my life in the hands of this woman? Worse, did I even have a choice?

"Do you feel up to telling me how you were bitten, hon?" she asked, changing the subject. She asked it softly, probably sensing it wasn't a pleasant memory. It wasn't, not at all, but I needed to get it out of my system. Not even Max knew.

In a small voice and without looking at her, I told the Alpha how I came to be a werewolf. I was walking home when a man stopped me on the street, asking me if I was Kimberly Vera. When I asked him why he was looking for her, he told me that he had a message from Andrew Jones, my father, and that he needed to talk to me in private.

"Your father?" Elena asked gently and I nodded, telling her about the man that abandoned my mother and me just after I was born. I had heard nothing of him since then and neither had my mother as far as I knew. So despite my better judgement, I followed the stranger. Stupidest decision of my life, but something in me had needed to know.

"I honestly don't know why he bothered stopping me in the street when he then dragged me into an alley." I shook my head and continued, despite the embarrassment and shame I felt for having gone with the stranger. Two men were waiting in the alley. It was dark and late since I had had to stay at uni to finish off an assignment, so no one saw me or the three abnormally large men that surrounded me in the alley.

The one that had stopped me on the street held me from behind, covering my mouth so I couldn't scream. I tried to fight them but three against one was hardly fair and they were all so strong—I guess now I knew why. One of them hit me on the head, blurring my vision, but my hearing was intact. One of the men told them to be careful, that his father needed me unharmed. Seconds later I felt it, on the left side of my neck, the bite that would change my life forever.

"I was unconscious within moments, I think. When I woke up, I was in the back of a car, delirious and hurting, my hands tied behind my back and Bruce and Dustin in the front seats. I'm not sure how long it was until Max came along since they kept knocking me out." Which had been the seed of my now thinking I had a monster within me, I guess. I exhaled softly, finally finishing my tale. God, how long ago had all that happened?

"So Bruce and Dustin didn't bite you?" Elena asked and I shook my head, frowning slightly.

"No, I'm sure of that. I could hardly see the men that attacked me, but they weren't Dustin or Bruce. Maybe they were working with them?" I asked, talking more to myself than Elena since she seemed to be deep in thought as she stared down at the coffee table.

"Maybe," she murmured, sighing and turning her attention back to me. "Do you remember what these men looked like?" I shrugged, saying that I could only remember what the guy who stopped me on the street looked like, that I barely saw the other ones.

"Brown hair, fair skinned, green eyes. About 6' tall and about as huge as Antonio." Elena grinned at that and nodded, saying that was enough.

"There is one last thing we need to talk about. Your parents." Before I could do anything Elena grabbed the newspaper beside her and passed it to me. Swallowing hard, I took it and read the front page. An excerpt of my story was in the lower corner, meaning I wasn't very important in light of what some senator had said. I flipped to the full story, but my eyes were too blurred to read it.

"Your roommate reported you missing after 24 hours and alerted your parents. You've been missing for almost two weeks now." I nodded and brushed away my fallen tears, putting the newspaper on the table, unable to read it. "I know that you will want to contact them, but I think the best thing would be for you to go in person to see them and assure them that you are okay. A phone call will merely make them look for you more. However, the Cure Max gave you has affected your Change and it would be risky for you to go into such a nerve racking situation without having had your first Change." I nodded, remembering what she had said about Changing when scared or anxious. The consequences were normally never good. "So once you have had your first Change we will go see them, since you won't feel the need to Change, at least not for a couple more days."

Again, all I could do was nod, not even looking at her. Before I could even ask, Elena told me that they would take care of my alibi. I said that was okay, but I honestly had no idea what story would make my parents believe that I had been gone for two weeks and not contacted them because I wasn't in trouble.

"Kim," Elena said, making sure I was giving her my undivided attention before going on. "I need to ask one more thing of you. I would like to know if either Bruce or Dustin touched you, hon. I know it's something you might not want to share, but I need to know. Max said that he did everything he could to protect you, but…"

"They didn't touch me," I said quickly, feeling queasy as I remembered for the second time that day exactly what Max had done for me, and I was forever in his debt because of it. "Max…" I swallowed and tried again. "Max protected me well. They never laid a hand on me, at least, not like that. Max stopped them when they tried and only ended up…" I trailed off unable to continue, looking down at my lap, but Elena's growl had me looking back up at her again.

"Did they touch Max?" Elena asked lowly, the wolf clearly visible in her eyes. "Did they?" Her voice was menacing, and I quickly shrank back into the couch, wanting to put as much distance as I could between her and me.

"Y-yes," I whispered, making sure to avoid eye contact with her. She was silent then and I waited with baited breath. Would she blame me for what happened to Max? "And I owe him everything because of it, Elena," I added quickly, hoping this would alleviate some of her anger.

"You don't owe him anything, honey," Elena said and I heard her sigh. Looking up, I saw her pinch the bridge of her nose, her eyes squeezed shut. After a moment she opened them and sat up, letting me see that the wolf was mostly gone. I opened my mouth to argue, knowing that I was in Max's debt no matter what anyone said, but Elena cut me off saying that what Max did was because he wanted to, so I owed him nothing. I closed my mouth and said nothing, knowing it would be useless to argue. This was my debt, not hers anyway.

"I think the others are out back playing touch football," Elena said after a moment and I looked up to see her cocking her head to the side. She smiled slightly. "I know that you might want to be alone right now to process all this, but we can't do that. Again, because we have no clue when your first Change will come and you still have no control over your wolf. So I am sorry to say that you will not be left alone for a while. If you don't want to play that's fine. We can stay here or we can go outside and watch them play. Whatever _you_ want."

Well, at least she's giving me a choice, I thought as I struggled to make a decision. I needed some fresh air to clear my head, though I wasn't looking forward to be in the company of the entire Pack. Okay, not true. I actually did not want to be alone, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to see or be near Reese. The fact that this man could make me feel like I was about to implode after only one look was simply terrifying.

"Um, I think I want to go outside," I said as steadily as I could. Elena smiled for real now and stood, walking around the table to hold out a hand to me. I took it, feeling her firm grasp as she hauled me up.

"I'm not a dictator, Kim. In time you'll come to see that," she said and led the way out of the room. Holding in my sigh and my "yeah, right," I followed her out and down the hall to the back door from behind which I could hear the sounds of laughter and playfulness. Noah shouting at Nick to pass the ball and then a shriek from one of the twins.

Without a word Elena stepped forward and held the door open for me. Taking a deep breath, I strode forward and froze, my heart instantly jumping into my mouth.

Reese sat on the porch steps with his back to me and his head down—in his hands by the looks of it. His broad shoulders and muscled arms were very clear from this angle. He hadn't heard me step onto the porch but the others had seen me, Nick immediately smiling and waving me over, calling for me to join them with his swoon-winning smile.

At Nick's words, Reese jumped up and turned around as if he was on fire, his eyes instantly locking on mine. I gulped and yanked my eyes away from him, feeling myself blush. God, what was it about this man that made me feel like this? Why did it feel like he could see me right to the core with just one look? And why him? I wondered, though one glance at his arms and his chest told me why, or at least some of it.

"I am sure Kim would rather rest now than bump heads with hyped up werewolves," Elena called just as I felt a firm hand on my shoulder. I smiled up thankfully at her from having saved me from refusing Nick and his enthusiasm. I heard Nick laugh and then as he challenged his powerful leader to come play with the hyped up werewolves. In the blink of an eye I saw the wolf emerge from within Elena to meet out the challenge.

Looking down at me, Elena asked, "Do you think you'll be okay if I leave you here with Reese, or would you rather I stay with you?" A soft growl came from somewhere in front of me, but the Alpha ignored it as she studied my eyes, no doubt seeing my nervousness at the prospect of being left alone with Reese. But I suddenly really did want to be alone with Reese. I _needed_ to be alone with him. I had no idea why.

"Um…it's fine." I was aware that my answer sounded like a mouse squeaking, and it seemed Elena was also aware of my high-pitched voice since her mouth formed into a hard line. Her eyes moved from me to Reese, a clear warning in them. Swallowing to try to get rid of the sudden dryness in my throat, I swivelled my gaze towards Reese who was now looking down at his feet.

"Reese," Elena said and he looked up at her, nodding after a moment and indicating with his hand for me to sit down beside him on the steps without looking at me. I glanced at Elena and she nodded down at me with an encouraging smile.

Biting my lip, I stepped towards Reese, watching his body tense as I neared him. During our talk, Elena had explained in greater depth what being a female werewolf within the Pack actually meant. Not only were we cherished and overprotected at times, but it also meant that we received a lot of attention from all the males. She had said not to be surprised if they held my hand, hugged me continuously, or downright kissed me. Apparently, the limits between Pack brothers and sisters were very, very thin.

Knowing all of this, it was still a surprise when Reese took my hand as soon as I was within reach, pulling me closer to him. I inhaled sharply, taking in his delicious scent. Why did he have to smell so damn good?

"Look after her, Reese," Elena said as she walked by us, stopping briefly until Reese had looked away from her piercing gaze, and headed to the field where the others had stopped playing to watch us. I flushed at this, hating that I was now the centre of attention.

Gripping my hand tightly, Reese gently pulled me down beside him as he sat, taking my hand hostage onto his thigh. I swallowed, my throat still unbelievably dry. What the hell was wrong with me? How could I be feeling these things when more important things were happening in my life, like, I don't know, the fact that I could now turn into full-blown wolf sometimes?

"Kim, about before…" he started, gently rubbing my hand with his coarse fingers.

"Don't, please," I said softly before he could say anymore. He gripped my hand a bit tighter but said nothing as he stared at the field and the players. I really didn't want to talk about what happened in the kitchen or in my bedroom. Not yet, at least. Besides, I don't think I would be able to say anything as my hand tingled and thrummed from the electricity passing between us. Could he feel it too?

Silence engulfed us and he continued to rub his fingers into my hand. He shifted slightly, his body brushing against mine. I shivered. Reese tensed for a moment and then shifted again, moving his body closer to mine so our bodies were permanently in contact.

"What part of Oz are you from?" I breathed, unable to withstand the silence any longer. I stared out into the field, waiting for him to answer but not really seeing anything, all my senses focused on the yummy smelling man beside me and his amazing touch.

"Outskirts of Melbourne, in the Outback. You?" Oh, so he had noticed my accent, slightly weakened in the years I had been living in Canada.

"Sydney." His grasp on me tightened suddenly but he quickly let up, taking a deep breath as he continued to caress my hand, the feeling resonating throughout my whole body.

Without warning, he used his free hand to caress my upper arm, his fingers tracing over my scars, which I now knew would fade by the end of next week. The deeper cuts would never go away, like the one on my stomach, but at least most of them would disappear. I certainly did not want to any reminders of my ordeal with Dustin and Bruce.

"I'm sorry this happened to you," Reese whispered, his fingers still over my healed wounds. "We should have been there earlier." I turned to look at him and shook my head, though he wasn't really looking at me as he stared down at my arm.

"It's not your fault. There was nothing you could have done." Elena had explained that they had come as soon as they could after finding out where we were being held. Reese had nothing to feel guilty about.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, clearly trying to change the subject since he had heard me answer the same question before in the study.

"Tired and sore," I said, answering with the truth as I fought the urge to rest my head on his shoulder. I had dated before. I never really had a boyfriend, but I certainly never felt anything like this before. Never had I wanted to be so close to them so quickly, to touch them, to feel them. It had taken weeks and months of trust building. In fact, now that I thought about it, I had never wanted to be so close to someone in my entire life.

"Do you want to go bed?" he asked, quickly pulling away and turning so he could look me in the eye. I blinked, momentarily shocked that he was asking for sex so bluntly, but then I realized his true meaning. I flushed at my foolishness and at the thought of being in bed with this beautiful young man and shook my head, looking down at my lap, unable to hold his worrying gaze.

"I'm fine. I want to get to know you all so I can be comfortable around you and learn to trust you." Silently he took my chin in his free hand and lifted it so he could gaze into my eyes. My stomach did a back flip as my heart rate went haywire.

"Do you feel comfortable around me?" he murmured. The answer was obvious, so the only reason I could think of for him to ask that was that he wanted to hear me say it. I hadn't run for the hills yet, so obviously I trusted him, more than I should, but I couldn't help it. I just did.

"Yes," I breathed, having no clue where my courage was coming from. Normally this is where I would flee the scene. Reese was slowly inching forwards, his intention clear. But I couldn't move even if I wanted to. One, Reese had a tight grip on my hand and chin, and two, he was holding me captive with his gaze.

A throat clearing beside us made me jump and I instantly blushed. My God, what was happening to me? I had just been about to let an almost complete stranger kiss me. Was this the wolf? Elena said that my wolf's instincts would be really strong right now and would continue to be until I learned to control them, at least partly. So was this simply my wolf's instinct to mate? Was it that time of the year or something?

Looking down at my lap and putting as much space between me and Reese as I could, I smelt Antonio's warm scent, though I could also pick up the tangy scent of anger. Glancing up at the older werewolf, I saw that he had his arms crossed over his chest and he was glaring down at Reese, looking none too happy.

"Nick," he called, giving Reese the evil eye as he held out a hand to me. Reese held my hand in a death grip, but when he felt my tug he mercifully let go. Grabbing Antonio's hand, I was hauled up and pulled until he was standing between me and Reese. "Why don't you have a talk with Reese?" he said as soon as Nick had come over to stand behind Reese.

Nick nodded and reached out a hand, helping Reese up. I knew Reese was looking at me, but I didn't meet his eye as Nick pulled him away and into the house. Antonio sighed softly and squeezed my hand, letting it go so he could put his hand on the small of my back. Looking up at him as I bit my lip nervously, I could see that he was both concerned and irritated. I wondered briefly who he was concerned for and who he was irritated at, but I knew as soon as he spoke.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" I nodded, stunned by the worry in his eyes. So much so that I had to look away, murmuring that nothing had happened and not understanding why I felt so disappointed about that.

"It's perfectly normal for you to feel confused, hon," Elena said as she came up the porch steps to stand in front of me and Antonio. "Remember, your wolf instincts are going to be very strong until you learn to control them."

"So is this supposed to be my wolf's urge to mate or something?" I blurted out, more out of frustration at the situation than anything else. Elena frowned and glanced at Antonio who stiffened beside me.

"I'm not sure," she said wearily.

Well, then what the fuck am I supposed to do? I wanted to scream, frustrated. What was this _thing_ doing to me? I had almost kissed a god damn stranger, my hormones were raging like crazy and I simply could not get Reese's scent out of my head. Could this be any more confusing or embarrassing?

"Kim, calm down," Elena suddenly ordered. I gasped, only just realizing that I could feel my skin squirming on my arms. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying desperately to push her back, to push it all back. But most importantly, I forced myself to calm down, like Elena had said, her words having an immediate effect on me.

"That's it, honey, good girl," she murmured, rubbing my shoulder gently as Antonio held onto me. I exhaled deeply and opened my eyes, letting go of the last of the tension in my body. "Good job, hon. You're already gaining some control." She smiled proudly at me and I blushed, not understanding how she could be so proud of someone she hardly even knew. Then again, she had admitted that as soon as they knew my name they had found out everything they could about me. She, and I'm not sure who else, knew about my past, even if she hadn't said anything, I knew she knew.

"Come on," Antonio said, gently pushing me forward and glancing around at the impending darkness. "It's getting late. Let's have some late dinner and then you can finally go and rest some, okay?" He winked at me like he had earlier that day and I warmed inside, feeling that this man and Elena at least cared about me.

Suddenly, Noah surged forward and grabbed the door, holding it open for me. I flushed, yet again, and thanked him softly. The guy had written all over him "nicest guy in town." And he was a gentleman. He must have every girl at school chasing him, I thought, wondering if Reese also had all the girls craving for his touch like I was every time I saw him. I shook my head, ridding myself of these thoughts, and followed Noah inside.

As we made our way down the hall, Clay and the kids came in as well. Kate and Logan both looked at Elena and when Elena nodded, the both ran forward, stopping in front of me.

Before I could even say hi, Kate asked, "Do you like Reese?"

"Kate," Elena scolded as I flushed, but Kate just shrugged.

"Reese likes her too, mummy," she said to her mother before turning to me and adding, "I've never seen Reese with a girl before, except mummy."

"And you, Kate," he brother added. He seemed quieter than his sister, but his eyes never left me. Kate nodded at her brother and looked back up at me.

"So you like him, right?" she pushed, putting her hands on her hips.

"I…um…," I said, completely lost.

My hero came in the shape of Noah, who said, "Everyone likes Reese, guys."

Kate rolled her eyes. "But Kim _likes_ Reese and he _likes_ her. Like mummy and daddy like each other. I saw it," she insisted.

Antonio chuckled then and stepped forward, taking one twin under each of his arms and asking them if they knew that there was ice-cream in the freezer. That was all it took to distract them from me and to lead them to the kitchen. I breathed a sigh of relief and smiled thankfully at Noah. He grinned back.

"Come on," Elena said, telling us that dinner wasn't going to make itself. I was about to say that I wasn't hungry, but thinking about food made my stomach rumble, giving me one more thing to be confused over. How could I be hungry after everything I had eaten just over an hour ago? And then I remembered Elena's talk. Werewolves had a really high metabolism which meant constant eating.

Memories of my problem flashed before my eyes, but I forced them back, I wasn't that girl anymore. I was stronger, both physically and mentally. I no longer even had the same life. I was now a werewolf and that gave me the excuse I needed to do the one thing I loved to do most. Eat. So as we made our way into the kitchen and Noah asked me if I wanted to help with making dinner, I eagerly accepted, thinking that this new life could have its perks after all, even if they were just a few.


	4. Ch 3 Craving

I own nothing except some original characters I sometimes bring in. The Otherworld and all its characters belong to Kelley Armstrong.

*I want to thank SuperNatural1985 for all her help, amazing support and excellent editing skills without which this would not be possible. I encourage you all to please read her stories, especially the new and improved **The Way In: Defiance**, at the end of which Kim is introduced.

Ch 3 Craving

_Reese_

"I know what I did was wrong, Nick, so can you save me the pep talk please?" I was pretty sure that I had never spoken to Nick like that, and so was Nick, so it wasn't hard to realize just how frustrated and lost I felt.

"Hey, buddy, just relax, okay?" Nick said, throwing up his hands and gesturing for me to calm down. "I'm not going to give you a pep talk. You don't need it, I get that, okay? I just want to know if you're okay, Reese. I know it was hard before Kim was even awake, but now…" He shook his head, confusion etched on his face. "Now I understand even less what's going on."

I sighed and shook my head, heading over to the couch and sitting down, only to receive a full blast of Kim's scent. Damn it. She was everywhere. And her scent was just so sweet, delicious and enticing. How could I say no to that when it was combined with her shy smile, rosy pink cheeks and beautiful chocolate brown eyes?

"Reese, bud, talk to me. I need to know what's happening," he said as he took a seat beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder as if to assure me that he was here for me. I didn't need any assurance at all, though. Nick had been there from the moment I arrived to the Pack and that wasn't about to change because of a girl, though admittedly, not just any girl.

"What do you want me to say, Nick?" I groaned, burying my head in my hands. This was so frustrating. From the moment I heard Kim's name I was like a moth to the flame, instinct telling me to find her no matter what it took. And then our eyes met and I knew, I just knew that I would never be the same without her. But now I had to deal with the reality of her being confused with her new life and not being able to be with her, at least not yet.

"How about you start by telling me what you feel for the girl you haven't even known for more than a few hours, because watching her while she slept doesn't count?" Nick said. I groaned into my hands and sat up, brushing a hand through my hair. Now _that_ was one very simply question.

"I feel…" I sighed and leaned back on the couch, inhaling her scent again. It was so soothing and yet so exhilarating. "I feel like I would go to the end of the world for her."

Nick sighed beside me, grunting something under his breath before saying, "If I had known that all you needed was a female werewolf to get back into the game, I would have talked to Elena about it ages ago." I gave him a look, but he just grinned like a ten year old who had said something naughty.

"You know it's not like that. It's…Kim." But Nick had a point. I would never have thought that I would fall for a female werewolf. After all, the only ones we knew were in existence lived here at Stonehaven, and I knew better than to mess with Clay. Okay, maybe I wasn't in love with Kim, not yet at least, but the attraction and chemistry between us was undeniable. I could feel the ache within me pulling me to her, even though she was on the other side of the house. And when we touched, there was simply no hiding the electricity that united us each and every time.

At some primal level, I was aware that Kim was it. I was pretty sure my inner wolf had been the one to choose our mate, but it really didn't matter since right now I was trying to understand why I was acting like a hormonal teenager around her. Maybe being celibate for the last three years had something to do with it, but still, I knew I seemed a little desperate.

"Well, you're going to have to slow down a bit, mate. I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that she has a lot on her plate right now."

I glared at him. "I'm trying, okay? I know she needs space and time to adjust to all this—"

"Not to mention the fact that she is as confused as hell by what's happening between the two of you," a voice growled behind us. I jumped and turned around on the couch to see Elena walking into the room, closing the door behind her. I hadn't even heard her come in. I was just too wrapped up in my emotions right then.

Elena strode in and sat down in front of us with the air of one that owned the place, which she did, but it was also the Alpha in her that made her look superior to the rest of us. As soon she had sat down she gave me a look that said she wasn't very happy with me. Oh, crap. It's not like I had planned for this to happen, and I don't think they appreciated just how much I was controlling myself right now by not going to Kim right this second, but I needed to regroup and find out how Kim was before I could attempt to approach her again, especially after what had happened outside.

"What do you mean? Is she okay?" I started to stand, cursing myself for bringing this on her, but Elena waved me down, ordering me to sit. Yes, ma'am.

"She's fine, but like I said, she's confused, and you making a move on her every two minutes isn't helping. She has just been bitten, and so far she has spent a week imprisoned by two psychotic bastards while her Changes tried to take over, Max injected her with that 'Cure,' which probably only made the Changes worse, she was sliced up in the woods and is now living in a house full of strangers." She paused, shaking her head in amazement, I think. "Honestly, if I were her I would have run screaming for the hills already. Max was right. She is very brave."

I winced at the mention of Max and quickly looked guiltily away from the Alpha. I should be more worried about Max, the brother I had sworn to protect and rescue after he had been taken, but here I was, trying to court a lady in the most un-noble manner possible.

Things had been shaky between us since they were both rescued. It was all my fault, though I just couldn't stop myself, just like he couldn't either. We are werewolves. We are territorial by nature, especially around our mates, and Kim was my mate—not even my brother would keep me from her.

I inwardly groaned then. Great, just great. How was I supposed to explain to Kim that my wolf had mated me to her while she was sleeping? Or maybe even before that, like the instant our eyes met? And more importantly, how was I going to explain that this was for life? A wolf mated forever, and I knew deep down that this was for life, that there would never be another. However, I had a feeling that it was going to be even harder to explain to her that this had happened to her as well. There was no denying the way she reacted to me whenever we were together. The sooner she accepted her wolf and what had happened to her, the sooner she would accept me as what I truly was—her mate.

"I know how important this is for you, Reese. Don't think I've forgotten." Elena's voice broke into my reverie and brought me back into the present. I didn't look at her, just stared down at the coffee table. "I'm not saying you should desist." My head shot up at that to find her smiling at me. "Look, I honestly think that Kim is still in a shocked state, not entirely realizing the enormity of what has happened to her, though she will soon enough. She's broken down a couple of times, but soon I think she's going to completely collapse and explode. A lot still has to sink in and she still has a lot to learn. She trusts you to a point she doesn't understand, and while that could help us, it can also completely freak her out."

"A little loving won't do her any wrong though, right?" Nick asked, smiling cheekily at me. I gave him the evil eye which just made him chuckle, much like his father normally did. They were more alike than they thought sometimes.

"Perhaps not, but like I said, she doesn't understand what's going on between you two and its only something more she has to deal with now. Like just now when Antonio sent you inside, her frustration at not being able to understand what was going on almost made her Change." I paled at that. God, what was I doing? I knew she was going through a lot and yet I had selfishly gone in for the kill as soon as I got the opportunity. Admittedly, I had tried to fight this urge, but it was like trying not to breathe. Useless and painful.

I looked up at Elena then and implored her with my eyes before saying, "What do you think I should do then?"

Nick suddenly broke into a fit of laughter, practically holding onto his sides as he howled. "Come on, mate," he gasped, breathless, 'mate' now stuck in his vocabulary thanks to me. "What do you normally do before getting into a girl's pants?"

The glare I gave him didn't shut him up. Elena's did though. Not only that but it wiped the smile off his face too. I loved Nick as a brother and mentor, but in all the years I had known him I hadn't worked up the courage to tell him the truth about my past. Only Elena knew, so she understood exactly what all of this meant to me, and Nick did too at some level, but not the way the Alpha did.

In the week it took for Kim's body to stabilize, I came to terms with what had happened to me. I had accepted that without even knowing her, I knew she was the one. I was confused at first, after all, I had sworn off women after what had happened with Daniella. I wouldn't be able to handle such pain again. But despite all of that, it didn't take me very long to just go with it. Instinctively I had known she was mine to keep, protect and love. Whether it was the wolf, fate or something else entirely, it didn't matter. All I knew was that I needed to be with Kim, but I didn't want to bring her anymore pain than she had already been through.

"Just take it slow," Elena said softly, giving me a small smile. "Like I said, I know how important this is, for you to want her like this." Oh, so she had noticed my evident arousal when I was around her and probably so had everyone else. "So how about you start with the basics? Get to know her, earn her trust like you normally would so she won't feel so confused about it. Help and protect her like you would your brothers. She is going to need all the help and support she can get. She's going to have a rough time until she can control her Changes."

I nodded, already knowing full well that it was going to take all of my willpower to be able to control myself. Kim was like finding an oasis after travelling the dry, scorching desert for days without having had anything to drink.

Elena dismissed us then and told us to go have dinner, though it was more like supper since it was night out already. I followed Elena out of the room with Nick by my side who gave me an apologetic smile before clasping my shoulder. I nodded, accepting his silent apology before heading down the hallway towards the kitchen.

Noah's voice could be heard the hallway and it wasn't hard to guess who he was talking to. So it wasn't surprising that as soon as the door was opened and I saw Noah standing side by side with Kim that my jealousy instantly rose. Elena quickly gave me a warning look, gesturing for me to start making the salad while she left with Clay and her kids to go set the table. Grudgingly I did what she said as I listened carefully to Noah and Kim's conversation.

I saw Kim glance over as we walked in, but she quickly looked away, a blush blossoming on her cheeks. I inwardly smiled, pleased with her reaction. She wasn't immune to me. She seemed to succumb just as quickly as I did. I could only imagine the self-control we would both have to have when we were left alone.

Nick plunked down at the island counter beside Jeremy, clearly with no intention of helping. I raised an eyebrow at him, but he just grinned at me. Antonio swatted him from behind, but smiled and let his son have this. I glanced at Kim and saw that she had been watching the men's exchange with a frown on her face. She quickly turned back to her work when Nick sent a grin her way. I glared at him. He just chuckled.

Noah was talking about school, probably trying to talk about normal things to keep Kim calm. I inwardly thanked him for that, but I still thought that he was standing much too close to Kim. Antonio was close by as well, but I honestly didn't feel half as threatened by him as I did by Noah. Antonio was old enough to be Kim's grandfather after all, and so far he hadn't shown any interest whatsoever. My brother, however, was a potential threat according to my wolf. Young and in his prime years. Not good. So when Noah started talking about his friends and I realized he had yet to mention Lexi, I jumped in. And I was aware in that instant that I was beginning to act just like Max, possessive and overprotective.

"By the way, Noah, your girlfriend called you earlier. I suggest you call her back." A low blow, I know, but a necessary one. Kim, who had yet to look me directly in the eye, glanced at me shyly and almost instantly looked away again to continue stirring the soap when she saw me looking at her. Noah flushed just as Nick snorted. Sitting at the counter, Jeremy shook his head, a crooked smile spreading over his lips. Antonio didn't look so happy though.

"Um, thanks," Noah murmured, blushing furiously as he glanced at Kim who was staring fixatedly into the pot. I felt a little bad for my brother but I hoped he would forgive me. I just couldn't control my instincts, honestly. A grin erupted over my face. One less thing I needed to worry about.

Noah was silent after that, so Nick quickly started up conversation by asking Antonio something about work, clearly trying to normalize the situation again. Jeremy joined in their conversation when they started talking about politics and I blocked it all out, not because it was uninteresting but because I was too focused on Kim. She still hadn't really looked at me since I had walked into the room. Was she mad because of what had happened outside?

I barely had time to start getting worried before dinner was ready and it was time to eat. I was shuffled from the kitchen and into the dining room, all the while trying to catch Kim's eye to no avail. Oh, God. Had I really fucked up so bad that she was scared to even look at me, or was she just really, really shy?

Everyone started taking their seats and I saw Kim hesitating, her eyes shifting nervously over the chairs. Rapidly I went over to her before anyone else could and took her hand, instantly feeling the connection between us. She looked up and flushed as soon as she saw it was me. Shy it is then.

Gently I tugged her along to the seat next to mine, taking her chair so she could sit down. Nibbling on her lower lip, she sat down with beautifully flushed cheeks, murmuring a soft thank you. I grinned widely, relieved that I hadn't screwed up like I thought I had, and quickly took up my seat between her and Antonio.

The twins, who had eaten their dinner on time since their complaints had been hard to ignore, left the dining room with their ice-cream desserts in hand. Without the kids at the table it meant that we would sit by hierarchy. I knew this instinctively, but Kim just seemed confused as Elena took her seat at the head of the table with her husband and Jeremy flanking her.

She shifted beside me and I could sense her discomfort. Suddenly all I wanted to do was take her hand in mine and reassure her that this was normal for us, but I held back. If I touched her again, I would feel the heat between our skins and would not be able to stop myself from moving in closer to her, trying to touch her even more, and we were already much too close here at the table. Best to be safe than sorry, so I kept my hands to myself.

Kim's eyes roamed over the table and waited with everyone else for Elena to start eating. I wondered if she could see how we were all seated by hierarchy and if she knew what her place was in the Pack. I honestly had no idea what Elena had talked to her about before. The Alpha took her first bite then and the rest of the Pack dug in like the pack of hungry wolves that they were.

Once conversation had started up a little around the table, I turned slightly to Kim, offering her the salad as I said softly, "Hierarchy is important to us wolves." Kim jumped a little, not expecting me to speak, I suppose, and quickly blushed.

"Um…I knew that, but I never thought…" She trailed off, looking around the table and biting her lip. I could see that this was hard for her, especially because she was at the end of the table with Noah in front of her, I guess.

"Give it time. I'll be here if you ever need anything, baby." The endearment was out of my mouth before I could stop it. A soft gasp escaped Kim's mouth before she turned to meet my gaze, her eyes scorching with an emotion that I didn't immediately recognize. Lust. Shit.

"Ahem," someone said from across the way. I ignored them. Under the table, I reached over and took Kim's hand over her thigh, knowing my eyes were probably about as dark as hers. Damn, how could one look be so damn hot?

"So, Reese, what do you think of the new plans for the company?" Antonio's voice asked from beside me and I suddenly felt a hard pressure on my thigh. I pulled my gaze away from Kim reluctantly and turned around, still holding onto Kim's soft and warm hand, and Antonio let go of my leg.

I saw Nick smirking from across the table and shaking his head. Noah smiled at me and looked happily between me and Kim. None of them had ever seen me like this with a woman before so this was new for them. Even Clay seemed mildly interested in my interaction with Kim. I knew for a fact that he had assumed I was gay or something. Nick had thought so too at one point. Only Elena knew what had happened in Australia, so I guess it was only natural, but I so wasn't gay. My reactions to Kim proved that for sure.

Absentmindedly I gave my opinion as quickly as possible, hoping to get Antonio off my back, but he kept me in conversation throughout the whole meal. Kim eventually let go of my hand and pulled away, making me feel a little empty almost instantly. Silly, really, since she was right beside me, still there, but right then all I really craved was her touch. I don't think I have ever wanted anything so badly in my life.

Suddenly I couldn't wait to be alone with her, to talk to her, to get to know her like Elena had said, to know how she felt and to simply be with her, but dinnertime seemed determined on prolonging itself today. Kim was mostly silent throughout the meal, and every time I glanced at her she was staring determinedly down at her plate, her cheeks flushed.

Finally, it was time to go to bed, at least for Kim who was still exhausted despite her week of slumber. Elena asked her if she was tired and Kim nodded a little too enthusiastically. She started to pick up her plate, but Elena waved her down, telling her that it was Nick and Noah's turn to pick up.

"Come on, hon," Elena said, waving her along as she started to leave the room, Clay right behind her to go put their kids to bed too. As Kim started to follow her out the door I stood and went after them, ignoring Antonio's voice telling me to stay here. I was just going to bed, after all. I wasn't doing anything wrong.

I quickly followed them up the stairs and managed to slip into the room before Elena closed the door. She scowled at me as I shut the door behind me and crossed her arms, looking none too happy. But I barely saw her as my eyes went straight to Kim, watching her as she sat down on the bed, her own gaze watching me, though it shifted to Elena when she growled.

"Reese, Kim is tired and wants to sleep, and I'm sure she would like some alone time." Elena grabbed the doorknob and started opening the door.

"But I sleep here too, Elena," I countered, but Elena just swung the door opened and gestured for me to leave. I wanted to keep arguing, but I also didn't want to seem like a spoiled brat to Kim which I really wasn't. So I dutifully nodded to the Alpha and turned to head out, despite what my entire being wanted right then—to be with Kim.

"Wait."

My God. Her voice was as alluring as her scent and her body. Immediately I executed her command, stopping in my tracks and turning back to look at her. Her cheeks were flamed red and her hands were twirling in her lap, betraying her nervousness.

"Um, he can stay if he wants to," she said softly, looking from Elena to the air mattress where Max's sleeping form could be seen.

My heart leapt at the thought of her wanting me to stay here, but Elena didn't seem game at all. She frowned at Kim and then at me before swivelling her gaze back to Kim.

"Are you sure? If you don't want him here, hon, just say so." From her tone I knew Elena knew full well that Kim did in fact want me here, but she was too shy to say so.

"It's okay. Besides, you said I can't be left alone. I don't want to keep you from your family." Wow, just wow. She already knew the perfect way to get Elena off her back. Could I have chosen a better mate?

Elena sighed beside me, but gave in, nodding as she shot me a warning look. In it I read "hurt her and I'll break you." Fair enough. I knew I would never consciously hurt her, and if I did I would not be able to forgive myself, so it was good to know that someone would be there to kick my ass for it. Someone other than Max that was. I mean, if it really came down to that, I would let Max execute the punishment since he so obviously cared so much for Kim, though I'm sure Antonio, Nick and Elena would be kicking my ass too.

"Fine, but please rest. You're going to need it for your Change." And with that Elena left the room, after sending me one last warning look, of course. And then I was alone with Kim, finally alone, and this time she was at least conscious.

"Thank you," I said and she smiled shyly at me as I crossed the bedroom to the air mattress beside where I uncovered my suitcase under a stack of clothes. I quickly pulled out my pyjamas and was just about to close the suitcase when I thought better of it and grabbed the shirt of my PJs. Whatever it was that was happening between Kim and me, I didn't want to tempt fate by not wearing enough clothes, not yet a least.

Perhaps the fact that I was willing to jump right into this would-be relationship after what had happened with Daniella should scare me, but this was it. I had been waiting my entire life for Kim. I just hadn't known it. But deep down, within my despair and grief over my parents' death, I had known that someone would come along one day, someone who I would be willing to give myself to in a way I hadn't in three years. This was it. I wasn't saying that I wanted to have sex with Kim right away or anytime soon, though my body was obviously craving for it, but eventually I would take that step with her, the one, my mate.

"Um," I heard from the bed and I glanced over to see Kim standing beside it with her night gown in hand. She was still flushed and was avoiding my eye. "I'm going to…er…" She trailed off and bit her lip, gesturing towards the bathroom with her night gown. I smiled at her. She was so beautiful when she was blushing and stammering. Well, and when she wasn't as well, but still.

"Sure, no worries." She nodded and made her way as quickly as possible to the bathroom, swiftly closing the door behind her. It was for the best, honestly. I wouldn't have looked had she changed here in the bedroom, but the temptation alone would have been very, very difficult to resist.

I changed into my own PJs and was just about to hop into bed with Max when Kim came out of the ensuite. I froze, my mouth falling open.

She was beautiful. She was small and had a wonderful petite figure, but she had curves that only the night gown could accentuate. Wide hips usually meant Latin background which I could easily see in her toffee brown skin, just like Antonio's and Nick's, and her brown hair that reached her waist in soft curls. Her soft features were flushed—no doubt embarrassed by my ogling, though I just couldn't help it—and her chocolate brown eyes were looking at anywhere but at me.

"Um, you're…" I cleared my throat and swallowed. My mouth was parched. "Gorgeous."

Releasing her lower lip, she murmured a thank you under her breath and peeked up at me through her lashes. I inhaled sharply when I realized that her eyes were trailing over my arms and down my chest. I was wearing a muscle shirt, so it only covered the basics. From the dark look in Kim's eyes and the way she shifted her body, I could tell she liked what she saw. Besides, her thumping heart was a dead giveaway. I shifted slightly too, hoping she wouldn't see my arousal.

Without a word she walked over to the bed and pulled the covers back with shaking hands. I bit my lip to keep in my groan. I was fighting the urge to just crawl into bed with her, to take her in my arms, to kiss her, to lay on the bed and….No, not yet. While I doubted Kim would stop me, we couldn't go there yet. I wanted to do this right. I hadn't felt like this in so long that I just didn't want to mess it up. First, before we could let instinct take over, we needed to get to know each other. It was what any sane person would do and Kim deserved that after the hell she had been through.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked tentatively just when I had decided to go sit on her bed. It was closer to her, but still at a relatively safe distance. I nodded, telling her that she could ask me anything whenever she wanted, and strode over, sitting at the edge of the bed. Her scent was very intoxicating and the room was impregnated with it, making it hard to concentrate on anything that wasn't Kim. I clenched my fist, trying to keep my arousal down, but that was hard to do when the night gown insisted on showing the curve of her breasts.

I watched Kim as she seemed to struggle with herself to ask whatever it was that was eating at her. Her hands were twirling in her lap over the covers in the tell-tale sign that she was nervous. Finally she looked up and met my eye.

"What's it like to Change?" Her voice was soft, fragile even, and all I could do was gape. Surely Elena would have told her about this? Or maybe she just wanted my point of view? "I mean," she started when I was silent for too long, "what's it like once we've Changed? What does it feel like to be a…wolf? Elena only said that the wolf and her instincts would completely take over, but I just don't understand." So she trusted me more than Elena if she was bringing her doubts to me. My heart swelled at the realization until I realized that Kim was expecting an answer.

Closing my eyes, I brushed a hand through my hair, thinking. I didn't want to scare Kim, but I couldn't lie to her either. She needed to know what this life was all about if I wanted her to adapt and accept as soon as possible.

"When I Change, I feel…free." Keeping my eyes closed and picturing myself in the woods as a wolf, I told Kim exactly what it was like. "When I'm a wolf, nothing else matters, just the need to survive, eat and protect the Pack and Alpha. It's just that simple. And when I run through the woods, feeling the earth beneath my paws, the wind flowing through my fur and smelling the forest around me, I feel at home."

"You like it, don't you?" I opened my eyes and cocked an eyebrow at her. Of course I did. And then it hit me.

"I love being a werewolf, Kimberly. I was born one and I would never change what I am for anything in the world. I know it's harder for you because you were bitten without your consent, but I promise you this isn't as bad as it might have seemed when you were with Bruce and Dustin."

"I know," she said quickly, shaking her head, her eyes wide and fearful. "I mean, I know it's not that bad, but it's just so confusing. I don't know if what I'm feeling half of the time is her or me." I could hear the disapproval in her voice when she spoke about her wolf.

"You're both one. Don't think that you're two different beings, baby, because you're not." Kim locked gazes with me as soon as I called her baby. "Sorry, I shouldn't call you that." Idiot, I chastised myself.

"It's okay," she whispered, her cheeks predictably flushing as she pulled her knees up to her chest along with the covers. "You can call me Kim, too. I don't really like Kimberly."

I frowned at her. "Why not? It's a beautiful name, though it doesn't really do you justice." She gasped and I grinned, but decided to let up. I couldn't go there, not yet, no matter how much I wanted to.

"What I'm trying to say, Kim…" I paused, relishing the feel of her name on my lips. God, it was delicious. "Is that you are both one and act as one. She will never do anything that you don't want to do, except Change, but that's just a defence mechanism." She nodded at this, obviously already knowing it. Good. "She isn't a monster."

"No, she just makes me act like an animal sometimes," she grumbled. I chuckled at that and Kim's grim face lifted into a small smile.

"Baby, I don't know how to break it to you, but you are actually part animal now, so, like I said, she doesn't make you do anything. It's all you. The wolf is just a means to an end." She nodded now, her eyes on the bedspread, her thoughts no doubt going over everything I had just told her.

"Thank you," she said, smiling timidly at me. She had a beautiful smile as well.

"Anytime, Kim. I mean it." I locked gazes with her until she nodded, making sure she understood that she could come to me with whatever she needed whenever she needed.

Kim suddenly stifled a yawn, hiding it behind her hand. When she saw me watching her she blushed. "Sorry. I know I shouldn't be tired after my long sleep…"

I cut her off with a shake of my head. "You weren't just sleeping, Kim. You're body was in full protection mode trying to get rid of the Cure." While the Cure had had some side effects like disrupting her first Change, we weren't sure if it hadn't done more. For all we knew, the Cure could be the only reason Kim was here with us today, but I guess that's something we would never know.

"Come on, let's go to bed. Elena will kill me if you're yawning tomorrow," I grinned, making sure to show her that I was kidding. Kim smiled back easily. Good. At least she didn't think we were all monsters, though she seemed to think that she had one inside of her. I would have to convince her otherwise, though I had no idea how. I would have to talk to Elena and tell her what Kim had just told me and all the worries she had clearly kept to herself. Elena was the Alpha and she needed to know all this even if I had been the one that Kim had trusted the information with. Besides, Elena would probably know how to act on these doubts since she might have had them herself when she went through the Change.

"Goodnight, Kim," I said, sliding off the bed and giving her a wide smile. She returned it and reached over to turn the lamp off, leaning down onto the bed and pulling the covers up. Just as I was sliding into the air mattress with Max and pulling my own covers up, I heard her say thank you again.

"You don't need to thank me, Kim. I would do anything for you." Through the darkness I heard her heart rate pick up dramatically. I waited with baited breath for her to move or say something. When her voice finally came, it was low and heady.

"Goodnight, Reese." Silence fell between us then. It took a few minutes for Kim's heart to calm down and not much longer for her to drift off. She had obviously been exhausted.

I was beyond tired as well if I was completely honest. I had had about as much sleep as Max in the past few days. I just didn't look as bad and wasn't as grumpy as him. But knowing that Kim was now awake and well and that I was already gaining her trust was enough to make me relax and fall to sleep in no time at all.

A soft scream woke me. I blinked, momentarily disorientated, and then I heard a moan from the bed. I sat up so quickly my vision blurred for a moment, but that didn't stop me from jumping out of bed and running towards hers, almost falling onto it from the sudden dizziness.

"Kim," I said desperately, squinting to let my eyes adapt to the darkness. She was thrashing on the bed, the bed sheets tangled around her. The hair that framed her face was plastered to her and her cheeks were flushed. Touching her forehead as gently as possible, I realized that she had a fever.

"Come on, baby, wake up," I said more loudly now, taking her shoulder and shaking it gently. Suddenly she sent a punch my way that hit me right in the jaw. I growled at myself for not paying attention to her flaying arms and grabbed her wrists, pulling them over her head as I hauled myself over her so I was straddling her. It was honestly the best way to hold her down.

Leaning down into her ear, I called for her to wake up again. This time she responded, without violence. Her body froze beneath mine and I quickly pulled back, seeing her eyes go wide when she saw me. She was huffing from her exertion, her face mere inches from my own, but the note of fear in her voice when she said my name was undeniable. Quickly I let go of her wrists and jumped off her, putting as much distance as I could between us while still staying on the bed.

"I'm sorry," I said softly, holding up my hands to show her I meant her no harm. She sat up and backed into the headboard, eyeing me warily. "I was trying to wake you, but you kept hitting me." Her heaving chest gave me a good idea of what she had underneath, but I tried not to think about that as I focused on the situation at hand. I heard the door close off to the side, but when I looked over no one was there, meaning that whoever had come to check on Kim trusted me enough to handle this.

Suddenly she burst into tears. I stared at her, shocked for a moment, as she pulled her knees up and curled into her legs, crying. All of a sudden all I wanted was whoever had left to come back. Who was I kidding? I barely knew anything about newly changed werewolves. How was I supposed to help her? _Stop your whining and help her, you idiot_, I chastised myself and pulled myself together. Kim needed me, damn it.

Crawling over to her, I sat down beside her and wrapped an arm around her, hoping it would help. It did. Almost instantly she leaned into me and I used both arms to hold her to me, pulling her until she was sitting in my lap. I held her close, cradling her in my arms, feeling the tense muscles betraying the fact that she was going to Change soon, but not tonight, not yet. Whatever she had been dreaming about, though, had scared the crap out of her, and I think I knew what it might have been. The typical dreams a werewolf had before their first Change, running through the forest chasing bunnies and the likes. Or maybe even nightmares of her time with the mutts. That one made me growl lowly, making me wish we could have gotten to her long before the mutts could have hurt her.

"It's okay, baby, you're okay," I murmured soothingly, resting my head against hers. Feeling her in my arms was the most amazing feeling in the world, but with her pain, and no doubt confusion as well, I couldn't allow myself to truly appreciate it.

Gently I pushed her off of me and started to lay her down, brushing her damp hair out of her face. She gazed up at me, her eyes shining from the fever. I let my finger trail down her cheek to her chin, cupping it. Her hand slithered up my side, her fingers going straight for my hair, hitting a spot that made me harden instantly. That's when I knew I needed to get away. I was getting much too close and she was in no state to say no to me, and this was much too soon.

I started pulling away from her, whispering for her to go back to sleep, but she grabbed onto my arm with an iron grip. Her eyes were wide with fear. Fear of what I didn't know.

"Don't go, please." Her voice broke on the last word. I tried to pull away, knowing full well that I had to go. It's not that I didn't trust myself to spend the night with her, but if I spent the night with her then I would want to spend them all with her. That was one dangerous addiction I could not fall into, not yet.

"Stay, please, baby." Her pleading was my undoing and her endearment had me caving. I was powerless against her, it seemed. Slowly I slid under the covers with her, holding her eyes in case she changed her mind. She didn't, and as soon as I was lying down beside her facing her, she curled into me, and only then did I realize I was shirtless. Damn, I had taken it off before because Max's body heat had been unbearable.

She pressed her palm to my chest and I felt it burn. I said nothing though. I craved her touch too much to even think about stopping her. Her forehead came to rest on my chest as well. Wrapping my arms around her, I held her tight, knowing just how right this was. She belonged here with me, and deep down she knew that no one would be able to look after her the way I would. Her being in my arms right then proved that and more.


	5. Ch 4 Bond

**A big thank you to all those who have reviewed! Means a lot, guys! =)**

I own nothing except some original characters I sometimes bring in. The Otherworld and all its characters belong to Kelley Armstrong.

*I want to thank SuperNatural1985 for all her help, amazing support and excellent editing skills without which this would not be possible. I encourage you all to please read her stories, especially the new and improved **The Way In: Defiance**, at the end of which Kim is introduced.

Ch 4 Bond

_Kim_

I awoke hot and restless. I could feel my muscles and tendons being pulled and strained all over my body. I knew what that meant, Elena had explained it, but I didn't want to think about that. Not when I was so warm and comfortable in bed. Wait. Beds don't breathe, do they?

I inhaled sharply, filling my body with Reese's scent. I felt him shift against me, and suddenly realized he had an arm around me when he pulled me flush against his body. My eyes flew open only to see his impeccable chest. Oh God, I hadn't remembered it being so…firm.

Keeping my breathing as regular as possible, I waited, and when Reese didn't stir, I breathed a soft sigh of relief. My head was pressed against his chest and my lips were mere inches from it. I had to stop myself from pressing my lips against his body, to feel him, to taste him. Oh my, now I was really hot.

Pulling my thoughts away from those dangerous waters, the memories of last night washed over me and I knew then that I had to be dreaming. How could Reese have actually stayed with me after the show I made? Why, oh, why did I cry in front of him? I could remember everything that had happened, every word, every move, every breath. Everything, even though I had been feverish and beyond exhausted.

Good God, had I really slept with him last night? Heat lit up my face. I had never, ever slept with a guy before. Not like this, or the other way either.

Reese had stayed with me. I remembered his hesitancy at first, he had even tried to pull away, but I had stopped him and he had given in. He had stayed with me, taken me in his arms and slept with me all night.

Reese suddenly groaned and moved against me, his arm pulling me even closer to him. Oh no. Terror flooded through me, breaking through my morning peace, and I suddenly had the urgency to get the hell away from him—simply because I had no idea how he was going to react or what he was going to say when he woke.

I pushed against his chest and glanced up at his face just in time to see him open his eyes. How could his eyes be such a pure blue? I yanked my eyes away from him and sat up with all of the intention of jumping off the bed.

"Kim, wait," Reese said, a little desperately, grabbing my arm before I could move more than a foot away from him and then rubbing it gently with his fingers. "It's okay, just relax, baby. It's normal." I spun my head around to look at him, not understanding what he was going on about. Gosh, his hair looked so sexy ruffled up like that and his body was in full view as he sat up, showing every perfect muscle and his perfectly inverted triangle. I swallowed. "It's normal for the Pack to sleep together, didn't Elena explain it?"

Oh. I started to shake my head but then stopped, remembering something else Elena had said. "Has this something to do with how close Pack members are?" Reese smiled, his glorious morning smile that shone as bright as the sun, and my insides melted.

"In a way, but it has more to do with the wolf. In the wild, a pack of wolves sleeps together for protection against other predators and to keep warm. That instinct is ingrained in us." Oh. My heart sank, surprising me.

I nodded and looked down at the bed, letting my hair fall as a dark curtain between us. What was wrong with me? What had I been expecting? My disappointment at his reason behind sleeping with me was so confusing. No, it was only confusing because I didn't want to see the truth.

The truth was that I liked Reese, a lot, too much, and this wasn't the time for that. This was actually the first time that my body had ever reacted like this with anyone, and even though I barely knew him, I knew I had feelings for him, no matter how much I wanted to deny them. But I couldn't do this. I couldn't tackle these new feelings and come to terms with being a werewolf at the same time, it was just too overwhelming. And then there was the fact that I believed Reese was merely acting on instinct, drawn to me by my scent and the need to protect the female werewolf of the Pack.

"I need to go have a shower," I said abruptly. I needed to get out of here. Finally admitting to myself what I felt and the sad truth about Reese was melting me from within. I could feel it gnawing at my insides leaving me with a sick feeling. He just wanted me because I smelt so damn arousing to him.

I tried to pull away from his touch and his caressing fingers, but he grasped my arm and I felt him move in beside me. Suddenly I felt his hand come up and swipe my hair behind my ear. I dared to glace at him and our eyes locked, sending that warming feeling all the way down my body. I forced my eyes away, not wanting him to see the longing I could feel in my body, a feeling so new, so overwhelming and powerful that it scared me.

Without warning his hand took a hold of my chin, cupping it and tugging gently so I was really looking at him, leaving me nowhere to hide. His thumb stroked my lower lip and my heart kicked into seventh gear, my breathing instantly shooting for the stars as the electricity zoomed between us, establishing the connection I could feel all the way down in my toes.

Reese frowned. "Can you feel that too?"

"Yes," I breathed, barely containing my urge to reach out and touch him. I was practically gasping for air and I could hear his breathing accelerating as well. He licked his lips. Shit.

A spark lit up deep within me, spreading through my body like wildfire, burning everything in its path and leaving only one thing in its place. Desire—something I had never felt until I met Reese, until his eyes found mine and I was lost to him.

"Reese," someone growled, anger and terror both fused into that one word. I blinked. I knew that voice, but my mushed up brain wasn't cooperating. Suddenly something landed on Reese and he was pushed back down onto the bed, a growl erupting from the thing on top of him.

"Max," I screamed as I saw his fisted hand land on Reese's jaw, but it couldn't have been a very hard hit. Max's arm was still in recovery, but that didn't seem to stop him from trying to pummel Reese, without much luck honestly. Reese growled loudly then and grabbed Max, rolling them, but the bed ended there.

They landed on the floor with an almighty crash, all growls and flailing limbs, each of them trying to get on top of the other. I jumped off the bed, almost sprawling on the floor when my legs tangled in the sheets. Scrambling up and cursing my clumsiness, I started for the boys but stopped myself. What could I possibly do? I wasn't strong enough to stop them and not get hurt, but I couldn't just let them fight over me like this either.

Just as I started for them, the door flew open and someone shouted, "Kim, don't." All of a sudden Antonio was in the room and was running towards the boys, pulling Reese off of Max since he had just managed to pin him with his hands over his head, just like he had done to me last night.

Reese growled and struggled against Antonio until he saw who he was fighting against and instantly stopped, his eyes quickly looking for me. I stared at him, completely stunned. Fear crossed his face, but Max's growl brought me back to the situation at hand.

Max was up and was heading for Reese who was being held by the arm by Antonio, but Clay stormed into the room and grabbed Max, holding him back. Max didn't fight him, but glared furiously at Reese.

"Don't you ever fucking touch her again, Reese!" the young boy yelled, and I winced. "I told you I won't let you fuck her and then just leave."

"And who says I'll leave her?" Reese suddenly yelled back, meeting Max's glare with one of his own. "You can't tell me what to do, Max, or her. What happens between us is between us, not you, so it's high time you get that into your head."

"You just want her because she smells like a bitch in heat. You just can't control yourself, can you?" the young boy yelled furiously. My heart constricted at Max's words and I felt like the rug had been pulled from underneath me. What was wrong with me? I had known this was the truth, deep down, so why was it affecting me so? The answer was simple, of course, and I hated myself for it. I liked Reese way too much.

"How the fuck can you say that?" Reese roared, making me cringe as he tried to pull away from Antonio, but the older and stronger werewolf held him back. Reese was just about to say something more, pure fury in his eyes as he glared at Max, but Elena's shout cut him short.

"Silence," she ordered firmly, the authority thick and strong in her voice. She strode into the room until she was between Reese and Max who were both still being held by Antonio and Clay respectively. She locked eyes with both of them until they had each looked away from her imperious gaze.

"Now," Elena said lowly, watching Reese as he kept his head down submissively seeming thoroughly chastised, "both of you will go downstairs into the study and wait for me. You will not say a word to each other and there will be no more fighting unless you know what's good for you."

I stared at her, surprised at the menace in her voice as she delivered her warning, but no one else seemed disturbed by it except me. I hadn't seen her this angry yet, but I wondered if it happened often if the Pack seemed so used to it. Or maybe they knew who was boss, which according to Elena, they did.

Both Reese and Max nodded, and almost instantly they both sought out my eye. I flushed, feeling Clay, Antonio and Elena's eyes on me too, so I quickly looked away, embarrassed at being seen so skimpily dressed and feeling more than a little guilty. I was already responsible for several of their fights. I obviously wasn't having a very good effect on them or the Pack.

I heard Reese growl, but when I looked up, he was already walking out the door with Antonio still holding onto his shoulder. Max followed but not before giving me a warm smile, though his eyes still held the anger he had spat at Reese. I smiled weakly back, thankful that he was trying to protect me, though I now felt empty inside and incredibly stupid. A part of me had really wanted Reese to want me for me, not because of my scent or my wolf, but that would have been too much to ask, especially since I had dismissed the idea of being with him just moments before. Good God, this was confusing. I really was starting to lose it.

"Kim, are you alright, honey?" Elena asked gently as she closed the door behind Clay and came over to me. I was still standing lamely beside the bed where I had almost crashed on to the floor. Looking away from the Alpha, I sat down on the bed and stared down into my lap. How had things gotten so out of hand? What was I doing that was having Max and Reese arguing and attacking each other every other minute?

"It's not your fault," Elena said, sitting down beside me. I looked up at her sceptically. She smiled. "Really, they are both just too dominant sometimes. Well, a lot of the time. There is nothing you can do to make them stop fighting. They will, no matter what you do. If you choose to stand by Max, Reese will bark, and if you stand by Reese, Max will roar. If you're with both of them, well, not good either." She gave me a sympathetic smile and then stood, holding out a hand to me.

"Come on," she said, pulling me up. "We have a lot to do today. Forget about the boys for now, okay? I'm going to talk to them. Hopefully I can get them to calm down enough for you to be able to concentrate on your training."

"Training?" I squeaked. She couldn't be serious?

Elena smiled and nodded. "Yes, training. If you want to survive in this world, Kim, you need to know how to defend yourself and how to attack if you have to. You also need to learn how to use your new strength and abilities. Your nose and ears need training as well."

Oh, well, I guess that made sense, kind of. I sure as hell did not want to attack anyone, but if I ever encountered someone like Bruce or Dustin I had to know how to defend myself, to be able to get out of that kind of situation if it ever happened again. And I had to—for my peace of mind—know how to step into a fight when two people were fighting because of me.

I nodded to Elena and she told me to have a quick shower and then go down for breakfast. Twenty minutes later I was walking down the stairs following the smell of pancakes. I opened the kitchen door hesitantly but only found Antonio and Nick inside sitting at the island counter already having breakfast.

Antonio stood as soon as he saw me and headed over to the stove, asking me if I was okay. I shrugged, saying I was fine, and bit my lip, not really sure if I was okay or not. I was still hurt by Max's words and the hot water had only made me feel more embarrassed and frustrated. Why did my smell have to be so alluring to male werewolves? And why, damn it, did I have to have so many confusing and overwhelming feelings for Reese? Why did I have to melt every time he looked at me and then combust when he touched me?

I sat down at the island counter beside Nick who gave me a warm smile, but he faltered when I couldn't return it.

"What's wrong?" he asked quickly, reaching over to lay a hand over my thigh. I hesitated, surprised at the concern in his voice and shocked at the intimate gesture of his hand. "Is it because of Reese?"

I blinked. Damn, why was I so darn obvious to read? Well, after what had happened this morning, the cause of my distress was either Max or Reese. And then I remembered last night. Shit. Did they know we slept together? Literally, I mean, not the other way? Oh god. I flushed crimson and looked over at Antonio who was watching me carefully as he made up a batch of pancakes.

Stupid, I chided myself. Of course they knew we had slept together. Max had been pissed because of exactly that. Plus, the smell of Reese on me, me on Reese and us on the mattress was sure to be undeniable.

"Um…no. I'm just still confused about all of this," I lied, but the look on Nick's face told me he knew I was lying. I mentally kicked myself. My world had been turned upside down and inside out, and yet I was worrying over a guy instead of what was happening with my life now. I really needed to sort out my priorities. Still, all of it was just so confusing that I guess I was just trying to focus on what was least confusing, something I knew I could somewhat wrap my head around. I still wasn't even sure how I felt about having a wolf inside of me now. Could it be that it was the wolf in me that was mixing up my priorities? I shook this thought off. She couldn't be that strong, could she?

"Just so you know, Kim, I've known Reese for years now," Antonio said and I looked over at him to see him leaning back against the counter with his arms crossed, the stove off so he could give me his utmost attention. I flushed at this, but didn't look away. "He's a good man. Max is upset and a little unstable after what happened with Bruce and Dustin, making him ultra-protective and territorial. Had he really been thinking about what he was saying he would never have said what he said to Reese."

"What my dad is trying to say is that Reese does not want to fuck you and leave as Max so bluntly puts it," said Nick, interrupting his father. "In fact, I should tell you Reese is—"

"That Max doesn't want you to be side-tracked. Reese is a distraction and right now he feels you should be focusing on your training," Antonio interrupted his son now, giving him a warning look. A look passed between them, but I have no idea what it could have possibly have meant.

"Yes," Nick said after a moment, following his father's lead. "Your future and your life will depend on how quickly you can learn how to fight." I stared at them, frowning. What had Nick been about to tell me that Antonio didn't want him to? What was going on? Nick looked like he wanted to say something, but a look from his father kept him silent.

Without a word Antonio went back to making more pancakes and Nick rose to get me some juice. I bit my lip nervously, wondering what was going on. First Antonio says that Reese is a good man but interrupts Nick when he's going to say something about him? Why? Did they all think Reese was a distraction and that I needed to focus? _Yes, idiot_, my inner voice scolded me. _Do you want to end up in another cage in the future?_

I inwardly growled and looked down at my lap. I was being foolish and acting like a child. I was twenty-one years old, for crying out loud, I needed to pull it together, even though it was hard for me to keep it together when all these feelings were so new to me. One look at the Pack told me that the norm was for werewolves to be tall and bulky with but a few exceptions like Elena, Jeremy and Nick. They were all really strong though, much taller than me and had years of experience. I didn't really stand a chance out there, but I knew both Noah and Max probably had a lot of growing to do still. I needed to concentrate, no matter how much my body craved to go searching for Reese. This wasn't the time, and maybe it never would be if all he really wanted was my body. He wanted me—there was little doubt of that—but not for me.

I jumped as a plate was set in front of me and Antonio squeezed my shoulder slightly, sliding into the stool beside me, so I was surrounded by Sorrentinos on each side. I smiled up at the older man and murmured a thank you before digging into my meal, suddenly realizing just how hungry I was.

I ate in silence and Antonio and Nick made little conversation as the father read the newspaper and the son glued his eyes to his IPhone. As soon as I was done I stood, but Antonio laid a hand on my arm and ordered me down as he grabbed my plate. I opened my mouth to complain, but Antonio merely shook his head.

"I've got this, sweetheart. Right now I want you to forget about doing clean up—the time for that will come eventually—and focus entirely on your training, okay?" he said, taking my shoulder again as he smiled fondly down at me. I flushed at the nickname, feeling as that one word warmed my heart. I smiled back at the older man just as the door opened and Max walked in.

My body instinctively tensed up, waiting for Max to jump and attack or growl. Max stopped in his tracks as he walked in, but a moment later he nodded at Antonio and came towards us, offering me his hand. I blinked, shocked at his new civilized behaviour, and took his hand, letting him lead me from the room as I sent another thank you to Antonio.

"Max," I said softly and Max stopped and spun around to face me in a blink of an eye, his eyes looking worriedly at me as he pulled me closer to him.

"What's wrong? Did Reese do something? I swear, Kim, if he did…" he trailed off, his low voice full of menace when he spoke about Reese. For a moment, I marvelled at how small Max was. 12, maybe 13 or 14 years old. He was so tiny, shorter than me, and fragile looking, though his eyes burned with the fire of a fighter.

"No, no," I said quickly, flushing. Reese didn't do anything I didn't want him to, but I wasn't about to tell Max that. "I just…I was just wondering why you didn't growl at Antonio." Max's eyes widened in surprise but then he shrugged, turning around and tugging me along as we headed for the back door.

"We've made a deal," he said simply. I waited for him to elaborate, but he said nothing more. My insides turned. What deal could they have possibly have made that would let Max keep calm when Antonio was so close to me, touching me even? I barely had time to think about this, however, before we were out the door.

Clay and Elena were waiting for me. Max led me down the porch steps, but then let me go on my own. As I neared them, I caught sight of the forest behind them and stopped in my tracks, inhaling sharply. I could smell the forest from here. I smelled…good. Familiar. It looked so beautiful. The trees standing tall and their flowing branches filled with leaves. How had I not noticed this beauty before?

"Kim, stop," I heard a firm voice say, but it seemed like from very far away and it didn't make any sense really. Stop what?

Suddenly I felt a hard grip on my shoulder as I was forcefully spun around. I blinked up at Elena's face, dazed. What was going on?

"The forest is our home," Elena said lowly, her eyes locked on mine. "It calls to us, especially to you since you're new to this life and the pull it has on us." Calls to us? Pull? The forest? How? "But when I tell you to stop, you stop," she said, leaving no room for argument. All of a sudden, I forgot about the forest.

"You can't tell me what to do," I growled, pulling out of her grasp and glaring at her. "You can't just order me around like that like you're my queen. Perhaps you haven't realized, but we live in the 21st Century and we live in a democracy."

Elena took a step back and crossed her arms, staring me down. "I am aware of that, Kimberly. But unless you haven't noticed, you are living with the Pack and this is not a democracy. I am your Alpha, not your queen. And yes, you will obey me. If you can't, then I'm afraid you're going to have to leave."

I heard Max gasp from the porch, but I didn't look at him as I held Elena's gaze. I would not give. I refused to submit to this woman. No matter what she said, she was not above me. And I was above no one. Sweat broke out on my forehead from the strain of fighting the urge to look away coming deep from within me.

"Kim, please," Max said softly, begging. I crumbled, submitting. If I left, I would have to leave Max. I had a debt to pay, but more importantly I cared too much for the little boy to leave him. And somehow, the thought of leaving Reese made my gut turn ice cold.

"The question is simple, Kim," Clay drawled, the first time he addressed me directly. He had his arms crossed and did not look happy with me at all. After all I had just confronted his Alpha. "Do you want to live or not?" I blinked, not understanding. "Stay and live or leave and die. It's as simple as that. So which is it?"

When I didn't respond, he smirked. "That's what they all say," he said and smiled at his wife.

"Kim," Elena said. Slowly I looked up at her, meeting her blue gaze. "I told you that I don't expect complete obedience immediately. Soon you'll learn to trust me enough to obey on your own. But until then I need you to at least try or this isn't going to work."

I nodded and looked down at my feet, speaking in a small voice. "I'll try."

Bending down, I inhaled the smells of the forest, trying to concentrate solely on the scent of the man I was tracking. I sighed, looking at my surroundings but only seeing the vastness of the woods. I felt very much alone, though the prickling sensation on the back of my neck told me that I was being watched.

I inhaled deeply and drank in the forest. It was so much more beautiful from within and the smell was so intoxicating. At first it had been hard to focus on the task at hand, but eventually I was able to concentrate enough to start tracking. It still took a lot of self-control, however. Every noise and every new scent that came my way required investigating, until reason kicked in and told me to stop being foolish. I knew this was the wolf's instincts, but I was too deep in the wolf's home to feel overwhelmed.

Standing up, I started forward, following Clay's scent as best as I could. It was hard with so many different smells here in the forest, but according to the professor, one day I might have to track someone in a city which was much, much harder. Honestly, Clay could be like Professor X that trained all the new werewolves or something.

I hit a fork in the scent, the third one so far, and sighed. This was never ending. I had already been in here for thirty minutes and so far I hadn't even glimpsed Clay, and I was so very lost. I had no idea which way I had come in or how in the world to get out. And it was getting dark. But somehow I didn't feel as worried as I probably should have been. Despite the growing darkness, I felt safe. Was this what Reese had been talking about?

After my confrontation with Elena, Clay had begun teaching me to use my most powerful weapons—my senses which had been amped up from the moment I was bitten. I could hear, see and smell better than any human being. In short, I now had the abilities of the wolf. The thought disturbed me, but I let it go, accepting it as best I could so I could learn everything Clay was trying to teach me.

Antonio and Elena had joined in, helping me to identify different smells, and the difference between old and new scents. Max had sat on the porch steps with Nick and Noah, but when Elena noticed how nervous the audience made me feel, she sent Nick and Noah away, probably realizing that Max didn't bother me, or maybe she knew that she wasn't going to get rid of him anyways, at least not without a fight.

I still hadn't seen Reese, not since this morning. His absence was starting to make me feel more than I little anxious, but I was trying to ignore it. _Focus on your training_, I scolded myself. I needed to survive. I wanted to survive. And without all this knowledge and training I was doomed. I needed to concentrate. This had to be my priority, not Reese.

I bent down again, all the way down until my nose was practically in the muddy forest floor, and sniffed. Moving over to the other side, I repeated the process and grinned. This one is newer, and if I really looked at the path he had supposedly gone down, I could see where Clay had stepped on some underbrush.

As I stood I wiped the dirt on my jeans and started forward, hoping that I was almost done. This was getting tiresome and I really just wanted to go do some investigating. I wanted to know what exactly smelled so yummy on the wind. But suddenly I remembered what happened last time I was in the forest, in darkness. I shivered. Instinctively I reached down to my arm where the scar was, tracing it with my fingers. This could not happen again, I promised myself. I would learn to protect myself no matter what it took—even if it meant taking orders from Elena.

I thought back to my talk about being a female werewolf with Elena and understood even better why it was so crucial for me to know how to protect myself. Elena had explained yesterday that once I had more of a control over my Changes—and actually Changed, I guess—and was more accustomed and at peace with being a werewolf I would move up in the hierarchy above Noah. This meant that I would be in charge of the werewolves that were beneath me, so Noah, Max and the twins. The thought of being above anyone was beyond surreal and it made me sick inside, though I could feel something deep within me glow with warmth at the thought of protecting the little ones.

I honestly could not see myself protecting myself, much less anyone else, but I had to try. No, not try. I had to do this, and now it wasn't just for me. I owed Max my life and I fully intended to repay the debt. What he did for me was priceless, but I would do my best.

A branch snapped from behind me and I froze, the hair on the back of my neck standing on end. My heart started thumping wildly as I searched around for the cause of the noise, but I could see nothing despite my new night time vision.

Seeing nothing dangerous or out of place, I started forward again, still following Clay's scent. Suddenly something heavy landed on my back and I was thrown forward, my chin hitting the ground with a crunch as the braches snapped under my body.

"Shit," I heard someone swear overhead. I stayed still, inwardly smiling. "Kim, are you okay? Kim!" I opened my eyes instantly. The desperation and fear in Max's voice had been pure and bone-chilling. Even if I was just playing and getting payback for him sneaking up on me, I couldn't do it. I couldn't scare him like that.

I rolled over and sat up, smiling at him. "I'm okay," I said and he sighed softly, letting his shoulders drop in relief as he kneeled down beside me.

"Don't do that, Kim. You scared me," he said softly, the fear in his eyes still lingering. I chastised myself for my idiocy. We had been through so much and here I was playing dead. Well, I thought, he did start it.

"So did you," I scowled, rolling my eyes. A grin lit up Max's features and he jumped forward, hugging me tightly. I hesitated for a moment but only for a moment, returning the hug full force.

The bond between us was growing strong, though admittedly, it had been strong from the very beginning, as soon as he had started looking after me. Now he continued to look after me, being overprotective in the process. I know I didn't really know the Pack, but I was forcing myself to take that leap of faith, both because Max trusted them and because I needed them. Without them, and Max, I was lost.

"Thank you," I murmured, burying my head into his shoulder. Jeez, how come I hadn't said this earlier? "Thank you so much for everything. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you and…" I could feel tears threaten so I shut up and settled for holding him tighter, hoping I could convey just how thankful I was in this one strong embrace.

"Kim, it's okay…don't…" Max murmured, holding me tighter as well, and I knew I was on the verge of breaking down. I knew it was only a matter of time. The shock would soon wear off with all the new information that was being thrown my way and then I would crumble. But not yet. I couldn't do that to Max. He had already done so much for me.

"I'm so sorry," I said softly, pulling away to see Max suddenly looking angry at my words. He started to say that I had nothing to be sorry for, but I just shook my head. "No, not that. I'm sorry I let Antonio drug you. I shouldn't have been so quick to trust him, but you seemed so tired and I felt terrible that you were like that because of me."

I bit my lip and watched him for his reaction. Max just frowned at me and then he shrugged as if drugging people was normal here. Was it?

"It's okay, Kim. I did need to sleep, that way I can protect you if I'm more alert. Just please don't do it again, okay? I would never forgive myself if something happened to you while I wasn't there." My heart constricted at his words and the evident emotion in them. He cared so much for me.

I lunged myself at him again, pulling him flush against me. I could simply not put into words what I felt in that moment. To feel so cared for, so protected, when I knew that I could have been so alone or with some not so kind werewolves if it hadn't been for Max and the Pack, the feeling was simply indescribable. I had never felt so attached to someone like I did in that moment and I was suddenly very grateful to have Max. Without him, all of this—trusting the Pack, training, accepting this new life, coming to terms with my wolf—would have been hell for sure.

Sometime later, I'm not sure how long, we pulled away and stood, Max helping me up despite my protest. I glanced up, knowing that Max had come down from the sky when he attacked me, and smiled. I needed to keep that tactic in mind. It could come in handy one day. I hadn't picked up his scent or seen him since he had hidden among the leaves in the humongous tree. I had to hand it to him, honestly.

Max motioned me forward, and I knew that my training still wasn't over so I quickly searched for Clay's scent and started following it once more. Max took my hand and together we followed the scent trail Clay had left for me.

Suddenly I hear a faint buzzing sound and turned my head to see a fence about a dozen feet high just beyond a clump of trees. I froze, pulling Max to a stop beside me. What the fuck is that?

"Relax, Kim," Max said softly, pulling me along and away from the fence. "It's just to keep the mutts out and keep us safe." Keep mutts out or keep us in? I wondered, and turned to look back at Max who suddenly grinned. "I know how to short-circuit it," he said proudly with a smile that told me not many people knew this, if anyone at all.

I frowned at him, wondering how he could possibly know how to short-circuit an electrified fence. Shaking my head, we started down the path again—well, the path that Clay had laid out for us—wanting to get us much distance as I could from that fence. I honestly wasn't sure if knowing it existed put any fear of being attacked at ease, or if it simply arose even more fears. What could be out there that could possibly warrant such a security measure? Though Dustin and Bruce seemed like a pretty good excuse to me.

We came across two more forks and Max let me work on them alone. I was thankful that he let me do this, but then again, he did want me to focus on my training and learn how to use my abilities so I would never have to depend on someone else. A while later we emerged from the woods hand in hand. Only then did I realize that I had come out almost in the exact same spot I had gone in. Damn, I needed to work on my sense of orientation.

Max grinned at me at he pulled me towards the back porch where Clay and Antonio were waiting for us. Elena emerged from the woods not far from us and quickly came over to join us. She smiled and congratulated me for doing such a good job, making me blush. She must have been the one I had sensed watching me then. I had never really believed I was entirely alone. After all, we were still waiting for my Change to come at any moment, something I was so not looking forward to at all.

"Good," Clay said after a moment, and Antonio grinned widely at me. "But next time I'm going to time you. You need to get used to this and be able to do this fast and effortlessly. When you're chasing a mutt, they're not going to go slowly on you, waiting for you to catch up, okay?"

I nodded and pulled my coat a little tighter around me as a slight breeze picked up. Max saw this and instantly wrapped an arm around me, asking Elena if I was done for the day. Elena shot him a look. The young werewolf clenched his jaw and looked away from her authoritative gaze.

"Yes, Kim, you are done for today," Elena said, giving me a small smile as she gestured for me to go inside. I thanked her, and Clay and Antonio too, before Max swept me inside.

"You don't need to thank them, Kim. You're a part of the Pack and training is mandatory," Max said, rolling his eyes at me. I flushed. Sometimes I think Max forgets that I wasn't born a werewolf like him, so all this supposed knowledge was news to me. Then again, he had joined the Pack and hadn't been born within it, so I wondered if he had to go through this training as well.

We went straight to the dining room since it was already way past time for dinner. I for one was going straight to bed after this. I was exhausted, not because I had done much, but it was all still a little overwhelming. Plus, my entire body felt like it was on the verge of snapping. Everything was being pulled to breaking point. It was only a matter of time and I knew it.

We walked into the room hand in hand to find Noah and Nick laying the food on the table while Reese and Jeremy got the kids into their seats. My heart instantly skipped a beat at the sight of Reese, and when our eyes met, I felt myself go crimson. But he didn't hold my gaze for long, quickly busying himself with Kate.

I frowned at him, sensing that something had changed, but Max quickly pulled me towards the table, seating me beside him and in front of Reese. I instantly felt a pang of longing—longing to be by his side, to touch him, to be with him.

I barely had time to contemplate if my feelings were rational or not before Clay, Elena and Antonio strode into the room and it was time to eat. The twins made up most of the conversation during the meal, talking about this and that, about their day, and school, but thankfully steering clear of me. I knew they had probably been told not to bother me since I had barely seen them or interacted after yesterday's embarrassing interrogation on Reese, and I was thankful for that. I doubt I would have the patience to deal with curious seven year olds right then, especially when I could simply not stop thinking about Reese.

Throughout the entire meal I shot him furtive glances and on multiple occasions I caught him staring at me, but he always looked away. All I wanted was to go to bed so we could talk like we had last night. I wanted to ask what was wrong and to tell him how I was feeling. No, not about my feelings for him, no way, but about how I was slowly realizing that there was no going back and that this was my lot in life now.

I have no idea why I felt like I could trust him with this when I couldn't with Max, but I just could. The connection I felt with Reese was just as strong as the one I felt with Max, but it was of an entirely different nature. I could feel it every time we touched, every time we were close together, and even when he looked at me. I had no idea exactly what this connection was, but the fact that there was something binding us together was indisputable.

Not soon enough it seemed, dinner was over and I could finally go to bed. As soon as I stood, Max asked if I was tired and I nodded, my heart sinking. I had forgotten that Max would be sleeping with us in the same room. I instantly felt bad for not wanting Max to be with me, but I decided right then and there, in the dining room while Noah and Nick cleared the table around us, that I had to figure out what was going on between Reese and me. I had been distracted all day with thoughts of him and how he had been able to feel that bond between us this morning. If I cleared the air between us then maybe I would be able to concentrate enough to know what I was doing. As it was, I had no idea what I had had for dinner.

Max took my hand in his, unaware of the split second decision I had made. He bade goodnight to everyone and I followed suit, half expecting Reese to jump up and come with us. He didn't. Once we were in the bedroom I still held hope that he would come in at any moment.

I bit my lip nervously as I stepped into my nightgown, Max with his back to me. I watched him pull his pyjama pants on and flushed slightly, but I couldn't help but feel a pang of despair at how small he was. For the second time that day I wondered just how old he really was.

"Max," I said once I was ready. He turned and smiled, offering me his hand. I took it and let him lead me over to the bed, but I stopped him before hopping onto the bed. "Wait, I wanted to ask you something." Max instantly stiffened and seemed to go on alert. His reaction confused me, but I still asked him, "How old are you exactly?"

He didn't respond immediately, but he quickly looked away, not meeting my eye. I watched him as he nibbled on his lower lip for a moment.

"What does it matter?" he murmured, seemingly angry. I blinked, taken aback. I guess it was a sore subject, but I needed to know, now more than ever.

"It matters to me," I said and took his hand again, squeezing it lightly. "I just want to know, is all. I can tell you how old I am if you want. I'm 21."

"I told them I was 16," Max said softly. My gut went cold. Oh God. He was younger than 16? I mean, he looked like he was 12, but I was hoping it was just a growth problem.

"How old are you, Max?" I whispered when he was quiet for too long.

He sighed and finally looked up to meet my eye. "I'm 13."

"Thir…teen?" I breathed, my eyes going wide and my mouth hanging open, but I didn't care. 14? How? How could someone so young have survived with Bruce and Dustin? Even if he had been 16 I would have thought him too young, extremely young.

Max looked alarmed at my reaction and quickly said, "My age doesn't matter, though. I will still protect you, Kim, always."

"Protect me?" I said, a little more loudly than I should have, but I was still in shock. "I would never ask that of you, Max, not after everything you have done. You're just 13! You should be playing video games and hanging out with friends at the mall and going to school! Not worrying about protecting me," I said fearfully.

I had never felt so protective of anyone in my life like I did in that moment with Max. I felt like I would do anything, absolutely anything, just to keep him safe, to let him live his life without fear. I knew I loved Max, like the little brother I had never had and I vowed that I would treat him as such. I was already in his debt for saving my life and my womanhood, but my love for him tied me to him all the more.

Max shook his head and let go of my hand, crossing his arms over his chest. He huffed loudly before saying, "I don't need any of that, Kim. I need to protect you. Elena told you the danger you're in, now and for the rest of your life."

I growled lowly, surprising both him and me, but it was an instinctive reaction. "Exactly, you said it. _The rest of my life_. You can't protect me forever, Max, that's what the Pack is for and I am also going to get some training. I won't be helpless. Besides, you've done enough already. I can't ask you for more," I said, ending in a softer tone as the memories of what he did for me flashed before my eyes, chilling me instantly.

Max stared at me wide eyed and was just about to say something when the door opened and Antonio walked into the room with his PJs on. Max grunted something his breath and sighed, hopping into bed without another word, obviously deciding the argument was over. It was, for now. But I knew full well I would be hearing of this before long.

I quickly escaped to the bathroom to brush my teeth and to escape any scrutiny while the disappointment of Reese's absence sunk in.

The pang of longing I felt at the realization almost hurt. I knew I was being childish and more than a bit irrational, but I honestly couldn't help it. Something deep within me had bonded me to him in a way I didn't understand, but I was now determined to find out, no matter what it took.

I knew I was being all brave now, thinking that I was going to go to Reese and ask him what was going on and what he felt, but I knew better. I was a coward when it came to these things, and I knew it was going to be so much harder than it had ever been because my feelings for Reese went beyond anything I had ever felt before. Nothing could compare to this, and it scared me beyond measure, which was why I had to define it before I cracked from not knowing what was going on.

Once I was changed into my nightgown, I crawled into the bed, exhausted. Max came in after me, quickly getting as close as possible to me, and I was instantly reminded of our nights in the cage. I leaned in closer to him and he laid an arm around me protectively, just like he used to.

"Kim," I heard Antonio say and I looked up to see him at the foot of the bed, his eyes looking at us tenderly. I flushed despite myself. "I just wanted to make sure that it's okay for me to stay with you tonight. We just can't leave him alone with you in case you start Changing during the night."

His words were so unexpected that I just stared at him for a moment. "Um, of course," I said, eventually finding my voice. He smiled at me and nodded, murmuring a thank you as he went to turn off the lights.

I rested my head back down on the bed and closed my eyes as I leaned my forehead against Max's body. I had already learned to associate it with safety. I was so comforted by his scent and presence that I was asleep within moments, not even remembering if I had heard Antonio get into bed or not.


	6. Ch 5 The Human and the Wolf

I own nothing except some original characters I sometimes bring in. The Otherworld and all

its characters belong to Kelley Armstrong.

*I want to thank SuperNatural1985 for all her help, amazing support and excellent editing skills without which this would not be possible. I encourage you all to please read her stories, especially the new and improved **The Way In: Defiance**, at the end of which Kim is introduced.

Ch 5 The Human and the Wolf

I could hear my heart beating wildly in my chest, threatening to jump out at any moment. But that wasn't about to stop me. I kept running. My objective was only a few metres in front of me and I was so hungry. My paws pounded against the hard forest floor with ease, the cold winter wind sweeping through my fur. I inhaled, breathing in the woods and the oh-so-yummy smelling meal that ran in front of me.

Jumping over a fallen log, I closed the distance between myself and the wretched rabbit. I pounced. It squealed. My teeth sank into its neck and blood spilled out, filling my mouth.

I gasped and sat bolt upright on the bed, my breath coming in short and harsh pants. Beside me Max moaned for someone to please stop, but remained motionless. On the air mattress, I saw Antonio roll over, but he didn't stir.

As I closed my eyes I tried to calm my heavy breathing, trying to banish the images that were still flowing through my mind. I was no vegetarian, but that...that was disgusting. I swallowed, trying to rid myself of the feel of the blood coursing down my throat. It didn't work.

Suddenly my stomach growled and I quickly covered it with my hands, hoping that would somehow dull the noise. It didn't, but neither of my companions stirred. I breathed a soft sigh of relief. I did not want to wake them and have them worrying over me. I was fine, disturbed but fine. I loved knowing that Max—and Antonio it seemed—cared so much about me, but they would not let me rest unless I told them what was wrong and the last thing I wanted was to relive what I had just seen.

My insides turned at the thought of all that blood in my mouth and I shivered. It had felt so real. And the freedom I had felt had been so exhilarating. It had been just like Reese had described it. I had felt free and at home.

I inwardly groaned at this. Yet another thing more to add to my already full plate. How was I supposed to deal with all of this? All this confusion was more than overwhelming. Despite what Reese had said, that my wolf and I were one and the same, I still felt like I was having a constant battle within me, a battle between the human and the animal, each side fighting for control.

I needed to get out of here. I needed time to think and pace, something I couldn't do in here without waking up the werewolves with supersonic hearing. Plus, I was starving, and if I didn't have something to eat now, I was sure I would wake up to find myself chewing on the pillow, or worse, on Max.

Pushing those gut wrenching thoughts aside, as carefully as I could I crawled off the bed. Max didn't even move. He was out cold. He was probably still exhausted. It was the first time that I was thankful for this, and instantly felt terrible. He was tired because he had been looking after me and had barely slept.

I shook my head to rid myself of these thoughts, knowing full well that I did myself no favours by thinking about them, and I tip toed towards the door. I grabbed my robe that matched my pale blue silk nightgown. I shrugged it on and gently opened the door. Antonio stirred for a moment and I held my breath for what felt like an eternity, but seconds later the man had stilled again, his breathing as even as ever. I let go of the air I had retained and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind me.

I breathed a soft sigh of relief and pulled the robe tighter around me. The house was a little cold, the winter already trying to settle in. Having lived in Toronto for years now, it wasn't that cold really, but I was in a short silk nightgown after all. It had not been made to go wandering around the house in the dead of a November night.

As silently as I could, I walked down the hallway. I wasn't sure if I was allowed up at this time or not, but probably not. I was being constantly watched because I still hadn't had my first Change which meant I was a little unstable. But I needed to be alone, just for a moment. I needed to think. I needed to breathe without being watched every other second.

I reached the downstairs with no incidents, but I was still careful to make as little noise as possible. I so did not want to have to face Clay in a dark small room. I knew that while Elena was a force to be reckoned with, Clay was clearly a formidable werewolf, and not just amongst the Pack. He knew what he was doing and I was certainly very glad that I was his student.

Using my new night vision, which I was still getting used to, I started heading towards the kitchen but stopped after a couple of steps. I can't explain what I felt in that moment, but for some reason, I was drawn to the back door. It was like something was calling to me at a molecular level, a magnetic pull that I couldn't understand, and I was helpless against it.

Without thinking, I turned towards the backdoor and strode forward. Dazed with this overwhelming feeling, I took the doorknob in my hand and swung the door open. The cold night air greeted me and a chill coursed through me before my entire body filled with warmth as soon as I met those piercing blue eyes that made my heart thump wildly.

Reese, who had been sitting on the porch steps when I opened the door, was on his feet and taking a step towards me, his eyes wary.

"Kim?" he said softly, taking another step closer. I blinked. What had just happened? "Are you okay? Do you need to Change?" His voice was anxious now.

"Um...no, I'm fine," I managed to say. "I just needed some air." I was so not going to tell him about the pull I had just felt. He would think I was crazy for sure. "Couldn't sleep?" I asked, trying to steer his worried gaze away from me.

He shook his head and finally looked away from me—well, away from my face. I flushed and pulled my robe tighter around me. His eyes shone in the light of the moon, but I could see almost no blue at all in them as they slowly roamed down my body and back up to my face.

"No," he said hoarsely, closing his eyes as he brushed a hand through his hair in a frustrated gesture. He sighed and pulled his gaze back to mine with a pleading look. "Look, Kim, about before...what Max said, I swear..." He trailed off, looking at a loss for words.

I shrugged, not really knowing what to say either. Max's words kept rolling around in my head and I couldn't seem to get them out. Was that really what Reese wanted, to just fuck me? I bit my lip, looking away from Reese and down at my feet, and instantly knew that something was wrong when I found myself seriously considering this. Damn, what was this man doing to me?

"I'm sorry," he said suddenly and I yanked my gaze back to him. To my shame, I could not go for long without looking at him. "Max shouldn't have said that. I promise you it's not true." I felt like he wanted to say more, but silence fell between, and I knew I had to say something.

"Is that why you ignored me and didn't even meet my eye before? Because you thought I believed what Max had said?" Reese's entire form tensed instantly and that was all the response I really needed.

"One of them," he murmured, not looking at me. He sighed. "Do you want to go inside? And we can talk?"

I shook my head and gestured behind him at the porch steps and the two beer bottles resting there. "I want to stay out here for a bit." Suddenly I felt much bolder and braver than I ever had and added, "I need the fresh air and I'd rather not risk waking anyone up."

Surprise lit up his face at my words, but he said nothing, just nodded and gestured me forward. Tentatively I strode towards him and sat down on the first step, and Reese quickly followed suit. Maybe it was because we were now alone or because we had cleared the air from earlier, I don't know, but Reese sat down beside me as close as he possibly could, bathing me in his warmth. I shivered as his hand made contact with my bare thigh.

"You cold?" he asked, and without waiting for a reply, he took off his jumper and laid it over my bare legs. I flushed, grateful that he was wearing a shirt beneath, and murmured my thank you.

"It's not that cold, you know. It's colder in Toronto, but this nightgown..." I murmured. Reese chuckled lightly and reached over, adjusting the jumper over my legs, and then wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him. Warmth instantly flushed through my body.

"Yeah, well, no matter how much time I spend here I still think it's as cold as the North Pole." I grinned, but a second later my smile fell. He didn't seem surprised about my being from Toronto. Elena had admitted that all the information she had gathered on me was in a file in the study. Surely he hadn't read it?

"Um, have you read the...uh, file Elena has on me?"

"No," he said before I had even finished my question. "No one has read it except Elena herself. She only informed us about what she thought was necessary, like your age, where you were from. Besides, you appeared on the news so..." He trailed off, and all I could do was nod. I had no idea what was on that file or just how deep Elena had delved into my life. I hoped it wasn't too deep, but I was just glad Reese hadn't seen it, or anyone else for that matter. I would have to talk to Elena and ask her to keep whatever she had found out between us, though she was obviously already doing that, but I would rather talk about it to her, no matter how embarrassing.

"I got into trouble for sleeping with you," he murmured into the darkness. I wanted to turn my head to look at him, but if I did, our faces would be much too close to each other and I knew I would not be able to handle it for long. I was already having trouble trying not to rest my head against his shoulder.

Oh God, what if I was wrong? What if his reactions to me are really just because of my scent and him being like this with me, so protective and so caring? Was it just because we are Pack? The same way Max was always looking after me. And this closeness, just like the one I had with Max, was just normal within the Pack? Maybe, but Antonio had seemed surprised with how protective Max was of me. I wasn't sure about Reese, though, and this was the base of my dilemma.

"Why? I thought you said it was normal for Pack members to sleep together." Shit, had he been lying, maybe just to get into bed with me? No, he said it after we had slept together, and I hadn't needed any convincing for that, but still.

"It is. But you're still confused, trying to work things out with your new self, and me being all over you isn't helping, is it?" My heart skipped a beat at the being all over me part, and I had to work hard to keep my breathing as regular as possible. Jeez, I still could not understand how he could affect me so.

"It is," I said and couldn't help it any longer. I let my head drop down and leaned against his shoulder. "I didn't have any nightmares with you." His body tensed and he tightened his hold on me.

"Did you have nightmares tonight?" I bit my lip and nodded against his shoulder. "What are they about?" His voice was soft, cautious.

"Me…as a wolf. I'm chasing rabbits and deer in the forest. And I'm...hungry." I couldn't stop the shiver that ran through my body then at the memory of the warm coopery taste of the blood in my mouth.

"Baby, that's normal," he said softly, his body relaxing against me. I pulled away and turned to give him a sceptical look. He smiled slightly, his eyes twinkling. "I promise it is. Every werewolf dreams of being a wolf before their first Change. I had them, too, and even though I lived in the Outback, I always dreamed of running in the forest." His gaze wandered over to the dark forest in front of us. I relaxed now, knowing that he was telling me the truth, though I wasn't entirely comforted.

"Here," he said, handing me one of the beer bottles. Lifting my head off his shoulder, I took it but didn't drink.

"Um, I don't really like beer, or alcohol for that matter." I flushed instantly, pulling away from him, but he held me tight, showing me that I wasn't going anywhere. Without a word he took my chin and tugged gently so I was looking at him. I bit my lip nervously, but he just smiled at me.

"That's okay, Kim. You don't have to be ashamed about this," he said softly. I blinked, surprised that he caught on to this so quickly and accurately.

"I've just gotten funny looks and not-so-kind remarks because of it before." I tried to pull away as I said this, but Reese held me in place, his blue eyes watching me intently.

"I'm sorry to hear that, baby, but I promise you that's not the case with me. If you don't want to drink, I won't force you." He held my gaze, and in his eyes I could see that he meant what he said, that he really didn't care. "Besides, being werewolves we can't take the chance of getting drunk and losing control, so we don't drink a lot. Well, we do as we have a high metabolism, but we don't drink enough to get drunk."

I nodded, happy with this new piece of information, thinking that maybe I could fit in after all. If only I could get over the following orders part, but I let that slide for now and focused on Reese and the moment, watching the trees sway before us in the breeze.

For a long time I was judged unjustly and the effects of that took me years to overcome, but my self-esteem was still in recovery. Knowing that Reese cared about me, that he was there if I needed any help, that at some level he was interested in me, all of it warmed my heart to breaking point. Earlier on I had been on the verge of breaking down, but now I could no longer hold it in.

Tears suddenly started raining down my face, and everything that had happened from the moment I was bitten crashed over me like a tidal wave, crushing me beneath it. I pulled my chin out of Reese's grip, not wanting him to see me break down so miserably, but before I knew it I was in his arms, sitting on his lap as he murmured soft words of comfort into my ear. This just made me cry more, though.

Had I really been through so much in just over a week? Had my life really been turned upside down and inside out in just a few days? Yes, it had and like I never thought possible.

I was a werewolf. I needed to accept this, completely and without a doubt. If I didn't, I knew I would not be able to accept this life for what it really was and would just keep fighting against it. If I didn't accept my new dual nature then I would never truly accept myself. I had to accept my wolf, no matter how unsure I was about her. And I had to accept the Pack. They were going to be like my family, Elena had said, because they would be the only ones who would ever really understand and accept me for who I am.

And then there was Reese, holding me right this moment in his strong muscled arms while I sobbed uncontrollably. He was obviously a nice guy, though I barely knew him, but my feelings for him were growing by the second. And the attraction between us, or at least the one I felt for him, was reaching boiling point. Why I was worrying about this when I had bigger problems was a complete and utter mystery to me, but I knew I had to work this out, for my peace of mind.

"I'm sorry," I croaked a while later, pulling away to see that I had left his T-shirt all tear-stained. "Sorry," I murmured again, touching the stain lightly with my fingers. Reese quickly grabbed that hand and held it. I looked up into his eyes and found them full of emotions. Worry, anxiety, and fear were some of them, but I could also see a touch of tenderness that had my heart clenching.

"Don't be sorry, baby," he murmured, bringing my hand to his lips and kissing it gently. I suddenly forgot how to breathe. "I'm here for whatever you need, remember? Besides, we were wondering when you would break down." He grinned when he saw my confused look and shook his head. "Any sane person would have had to break down eventually to take all of this in, Kim. Not only has your life been changed, but so have you physically, and that is not something that can be accepted easily."

Without warning, and before I could really think it through, I rested my head against his shoulder, closing my eyes and wrapping an arm around his neck as I murmured a soft thank you. His body tensed against mine, but he slowly relaxed, pulling me closer to his body, keeping me warm.

The minutes ticked by and we didn't move. I felt at home in Reese's arms, comforted and safe. Briefly I remembered that was how I had felt when our eyes first met, and I knew that, whatever my feelings were escalating to, it wasn't going to be easy to get rid of. There had been guys in my life, but they hadn't really been boyfriends, just dates, if that even. I hadn't been able to take that next step in the relationships knowing I didn't really like them, not that much, not the way I wanted to feel. But I felt for Reese so much more than I ever thought possible. He had so much control over my body. He could awaken my entire being with a simple touch of his hand, with a single look, with a soft caress.

I opened my eyes and wiped away the tears, trying to steady myself. Reese merely held me tightly in his arms, seemingly having no intention of letting me go any time soon and this warmed me right down to my core. Being in his arms just felt so right.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw something move on the grass in front of us. I looked over, lifting my head from Reese's shoulder. I squinted, trying to use my new and improved vision. The thing suddenly moved closer and I had to cover my mouth to keep my squeal in.

"Reese," I whispered, trying to jump out of his arms, but he was so not letting me go. "Reese, there's a spider there," I whispered desperately, trying and failing to get out of his arms to put some distance between me and the huge ass spider crawling around in the grass right in front of me.

"So?" he said softly, and I could hear his contained amusement. I glared at him.

"It's huge. And I hate spiders." To emphasize my point, I struggled against him, but he just chuckled and held on tight.

"I thought you were from Oz, baby. You know that spiders there are so big that they have their own health bars?" The glare I gave him had him chuckling again which turned into flat out laughter that he had to cover up with his hand. I pouted, crossing my arms over my chest, unamused by his joke or about the fact that the spider was getting closer, but I couldn't help smiling at his laughter. He was so sexy when he laughed.

"Besides," he added, winking at me, "that spider must be ill or something. All animals normally run from us when they smell us. Or attack us." He grinned at me, but I just gave him a look that told him that his words were not comforting at all. Now I just wanted to get the hell away from here and fast.

When he saw that the tension would not leave my body, he sighed dramatically and gently put my down on the porch. He got up and strode down the porch steps towards the spider. Had we been in Australia, going near that thing would have been a very stupid move. After all, Oz was renowned for being the home to some of the most vicious and poisonous animals in the world. But we were in the States, and it wasn't likely that the spider was venomous, but I still hated spiders in general. Reese didn't seem to mind them at all. I guess they had heaps of spiders out in the Outback.

Reese reached the spider and stared down at it for a moment before squishing it under his sneaker. He cleaned it off on the grass and then started back to me.

"Just so you know I don't like killing animals unless I'm in wolf form. I did that for you," he said with a sly smile. I raised an eyebrow at him. Of course he killed animals in wolf form. I had just dreamt about it, hadn't I?

"Are you trying to make me feel guilty?" I asked as he reached me. He hunched down in front of me and grinned widely.

"Never. But I wanted you to know that I would do anything for you, no matter how small or big."

My mouth fell open as I started hyperventilating. Did he really just say that? Before I could do more than struggle to breathe, he leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. That had my heart thumping so hard and loud that I could hear it and obviously so could he.

"Want to go for a walk?" he murmured, his hand trailing on my thigh, keeping my heart rate accelerated.

"Walk? Where?" What did he say? God, I couldn't even concentrate on his words. The skin on my cheek was burning too hot where he had just kissed me.

"The forest," he grinned, throwing his thumb over his shoulder to point at the dark mass behind him. "So Miss Kimberly Vera," he said, standing and offering me his hand, "will you take a night time stroll with me in the forest?"

I didn't hesitate. I took his hand and let him pull me to my feet. He smiled down at me as he lifted my hand and kissed it, leaving it burning before letting it go. He strode past me and went back inside. A moment later he came back out with a pair of boots and a jacket.

"Put my jumper on, baby," he said, pointing at the dark blue Columbia jumper I had in my hand. Quickly I pulled it on, his scent surrounding me. I'm not sure why, but I felt a deep pleasure in having his smell on me.

"Here," he said as he handed me the jacket once I had the sweater on.

"It's not that cold, Reese," I scoffed as I pulled it on. Reese seemed like he had been with the Pack for some time now. Obviously he wasn't born here or within the Pack because of his accent, but surely he had been here long enough to have gotten used to the cold.

"Fine then, Miss I'm-afraid-of-spiders. You won't need these either then. If you step on a spider, well, at least it's not that cold," he grinned and held up the rain boots. I rolled my eyes and went to grab them, but he pulled them up out of my reach. I sighed.

"Okay, okay. It's cold," I said, waving my hands in surrender. Reese's grin broadened and he offered me the boots which I quickly pulled on. They were a little tight, but good enough. I had a feeling they were Max's because everyone else surely had much larger feet than both of us. Leaning down to put them on, I could pick up Max's scent on them.

"Ready?" Reese asked, offering me his hand with a grin plastered on his face, looking like Christmas had just come early. I flushed but couldn't help returning his beautiful smile as I took his hand, instantly feeling that connection once again. Keeping a firm grip on my hand, he led me back out the door and towards the dark forest.

As we approached the woods and the smell of it reached me, I felt my body tense and anticipation gnaw at me from within. I gripped Reese's hand tightly as we stepped into the forest, feeling that pull again. All of a sudden all I wanted to do was run. Run into the forest and lose myself within it. And I wanted Reese to come with me, to run with me, to take me deep into the forest and never come back.

"Kim," Reese said and stepped in front of me, taking my head in both his hands. "Look at me," he said softly, but he didn't really have to say that. I could never get enough of those deep blue eyes that shone to brightly in the dark. "Promise me that you will not wander off without me or we are not taking another step."

"I promise," I said. Sure, I wanted to go and wander the forest, but I would much rather go with Reese. A part of me was still sane enough to know that going into the woods in the dead of night was not a good idea.

"Okay," Reese said, letting go of my head and taking my hand in an iron grip. Elena had warned me about the limits between Pack brothers being ever so thin, but I couldn't help feeling something different as Reese held me. I didn't feel like I did when Max held my hand earlier that day and led me through the forest. With Max I had felt safe, yes, but with Reese I felt like I could take on the world and come out unscathed. Reese's mere presence was enough to calm me, assuring me that I was safe and protected without saying a word.

I had expected the forest to be silent, but it was far from silent. Even with the leaves and branches cracking under our feet, there were plenty of other noises filling the night. Animals called through the dark, the wind blew and the trees creaked. Had I not been with Reese, I would have gone running ages ago, or not have come in at all.

"It's so beautiful," I whispered as we walked, breaking the silence. I looked up at the canopy of the trees, seeing the moonlight shine through the branches and leaves down to the forest floor, illuminating the woods and their beauty.

"It is," he murmured and stopped to look up with me, and then to look around at the tree trunks and bushes. "It really is."

As we started moving again, I remembered something he had said the night before. "You said you had dreamed of the forest even though you had grown up in the Outback," I said and instantly felt him tense beside me. I turned to look at him and saw his jaw was set, as if he was preparing for an onslaught. Despite this, I couldn't help asking, "Why aren't you living in Australia anymore?"

Reese let out a soft breath and said nothing for a moment. When I looked at him, he didn't look at me back, just kept his eyes looking ahead, a slight frown creasing his forehead.

"It's not a happy story, Kim," he whispered into the night. I bit my lip and watched him for a moment.

"I want to know," I said, deciding the more I knew about him the better. Maybe I could get down to what was it that had me so tied to him. But then he glanced at me, his look chilling me to the bone despite the layers. "Unless you don't want to talk about it," I added quickly. God, what had happened? From the look he gave me, it must have been terrible.

He watched me for a moment before swinging his gaze back to the path we were following, his eyes downcast. His shoulders were tensed, his jaw set and his free hand in his pocket. He squeezed my hand gently but said nothing. We walked a minute more in silence where I didn't say anything, just waited, until he finally spoke, his tone sombre.

"The Australian Pack had been looking for my parents for years, since before I was born. They aren't like this Pack. They did not like that my mother, a human, knew about werewolves. So my parents hid in the Outback. But then the Pack found me and tricked me into leading them to my parents. And now they're gone," he said.

I could hear the pain in his voice, the grief, the hurt and the anger. Even his guilt. Not only did I hear in his voice though, I also felt it. So before he could say anything more, I pulled him to a stop and stepped in front of him. He was probably expecting it because he instantly pulled me into his arms, wrapping them tightly around my small frame. I wrapped my arms around him too, and he buried his face into my neck, his breath tickling the skin there and making me shiver, but he just held me even tighter.

As I held him, I didn't feel the usual reaction I did when we touched. All I could feel was his pain, so raw it had me bordering on tears. I bit my lip and just held him tighter, not even caring about the closeness or my confusing feelings for him. All that mattered was that he was in pain and it made my heart ache to see it.

"I wasn't there to save them. I couldn't even bury them. I ran and I've been here ever since," he whispered hoarsely.

"Hush," I murmured, squeezing my eyes shut to hold back the tears. I had no idea what had happened, but I knew it was not his fault. If they had tricked him, then it most certainly was not his fault. But I couldn't say that without it sounding empty and hallow since I didn't know the specifics.

I don't know how long we stood there in each other's arms, but eventually the tension in his body slid away. Even after that he still held me flush against him for a few more minutes and then let me go, taking a step back to look down on me.

"Thank you, Kimmy. It's always hard for me to keep it together when I think back on that day," he said softly, his eyes flowing with grief.

I wrinkled my nose. "Kimmy? Not even my dad calls me that," I said. My words had the desired effect. A small smile touched his lips as he took my hand in his.

"Good. Now I have my own name for you." I rolled my eyes. He chuckled softly, the sound warming my heart after seeing his pain.

With a bigger smile now, he raised his free hand and cupped my cheek, saying, "Thank you."

I smiled up at him, pressing my hand against his over my cheek. "Any time."

His eyes glistened in the moonlight and I had the feeling he was about to say something when he let go of my cheek and stepped beside me. We started walking down the path again. I was afraid of asking any more questions in case I brought up any more grief or bad memories, but Reese saved me from making a fool of myself.

"And why aren't you living in Australia anymore?" he asked, like we just hadn't had a moment. Maybe it hadn't been a moment for him. Maybe it was all just in my head.

"My stepdad was offered a job in Toronto a few years ago. It was a really good job with a really good pay, so he couldn't really turn it down. I've been living in Canada since I was 16," I explained.

"You have a stepdad and still talk to your dad?"

"No, my stepdad is my dad," I said firmly. "Russ is the only dad I have ever had."

"I understand," he said. I glanced at him and found him smiling at me before he turned his gaze back to the path just in time to skirt a tree. "My dad wasn't my biological dad either, though I grew up thinking he was. When I found out he wasn't, I felt betrayed. But then I realized that he was my father for everything that counted and that was the end of it." He paused for a moment and then said, "So Vera is your biological father's surname?"

"No, it's my mum's. She wasn't married to my father. I've been meaning to change it to Russ', though. Carlson. Mum wanted to do it after they got married, but Russ and mum didn't meet until I was 14 and it took me a while to start trusting him. But now I know he's my dad and I feel like I should have his name," I said and instantly flushed. I had never shared so much of myself like that. I had told Emily, of course, my best friend, but it had taken a while before I had admitted that Russ and I didn't always see eye to eye. But Reese made me feel like I had known him all my life and the way I trusted him proved it. Maybe the fact that he had trusted me with his story as well meant that it went both ways. I couldn't be sure.

"That's normal, baby. It's rare for a stranger to become so close to you in a short period of time," he said and rubbed his fingers into my hand.

I bit my lip and said nothing. Was he talking about us? Did he trust me like I trusted him so easily and unknowingly? Had what he told me been secret or did everyone else know too? I wanted to ask, but he beat me to it.

"Only Elena knows what I told you," he said softly. My heart swelled at that. So he trusted me too. I wanted to hug myself and I had to work hard not to grin. Remembering what he had shared with me held back any smile whatsoever, crushing my heart all over again.

Before I could say anything, we stepped into a clearing and I gasped. It was almost a perfect circle and the moonlight shone down from above. Right in the centre was a log that, by the looks of it, had been there for quite some time.

"I come here when I have to think," Reese said as I stepped away from him and into the clearing, letting go of his hand. It was so beautiful. The moon wasn't full, but almost.

I inhaled deeply, taking in the forest all over again. It had rained the night before and I could still smell it in the air. I could hear crickets singing not so far away, an owl hooting somewhere to my right, Reese breathing behind me and the earth crunching as he stepped towards me.

Strong arms snaked around my waist and pulled me back against a firm and hot body. Reese nestled his face in my neck again, whispering how beautiful it was. I laid my hands over his muscled arms and murmured my agreement. It was really something to behold, especially from the comfort of Reese's arms.

Suddenly I felt a soft kiss on my neck. I shivered and closed my eyes, pressing myself back against him. There I felt something I had never felt before but instantly knew what it was. Reese groaned into my neck and tightened his hold on me. He kissed me again, this time a little higher, right over my sensitive skin. It wasn't a kiss though.

I dug my nails into his arm and squirmed against him as he worked, biting my lip to keep silent. He finished quickly and then made a trail of kisses along my jaw. I ached to touch him back, to taste him too. Just seconds later I couldn't take it anymore. I turned in his arms and instantly felt him press his lips to mine.


	7. Ch 6 Irresistable

_**Sorry for the late update, guys! Enjoy!**_

I own nothing except some original characters I sometimes bring in. The Otherworld and all its characters belong to Kelley Armstrong.

*I want to thank SuperNatural1985 for all her help, amazing support and excellent editing skills without which this would not be possible. I encourage you all to please read her stories, especially the new and improved **The Way In: Defiance**, at the end of which Kim is introduced.

Ch 6 Irresistible

His lips burned against mine, sending fiery flames all the way down to my core. Electricity blazed between us, making my head spin. I felt like I was about to melt right there in his arms. Or implode. And he hadn't even really kissed me yet.

His lips moved gently against mine, though I could hear his harsh breathing. He had a hand on my waist, keeping a tight hold on me, and the other was at the nape of my neck, holding me in place. I kept my hands on his chest, wishing there was nothing between his skin and mine. Breathing in deeply, I inhaled Reese's scent and the millions of scents of the forest—and it all smelled of home.

"We can't," he whispered suddenly, breaking the kiss. He instantly let go of me and stepped away out of my reach.

I blinked, dazed and breathing hard. My insides suddenly turned cold. _He pushed me away_. But before I could completely process this, Reese spoke.

"No, it's not you, Kim," he said quickly, probably seeing the despair written on my face. He reached out and pressed a hand to my cheek, his dark eyes locked on mine. "I just can't kiss you when you're out here surrounded by the forest, your inner instincts guiding you. I want you to have a clear head when I do it again."

"Again?" I whispered, my face heating at the thought of him wanting to kiss me again.

He grinned, brushing his thumb over my lower lip "Yes, again and again and again and again and as many times as I can if I have it my way."

My insides clenched at his words. Oh, I so wanted him to have it his way. I wanted to tell him that, but something held me back. I just couldn't say it. Everything that had happened since I walked out onto the porch blurred and shifted and suddenly I couldn't make any sense of it. What was happening? Did this mean that he felt something for me too? Or was he just looking for a fuck-buddy, just like Max had said?

Reese's grin fell when I didn't say anything, letting his hand drop from my face. He brushed a hand through his hair and sighed, looking frustrated. He met my gaze again and set his jaw, suddenly looking determined.

"Let's get back inside," he said softly, his eyes growing tender as he held my gaze. He reached out and took my hand. I looked down at our entwined fingers, and despite my confused state, I felt warm inside—a warmth that radiated to every inch of my body.

"It'll be easier to talk without all this," he said and I looked up to see him waving at the trees surrounding us, "distracting you."

I nodded then, realizing for the first time that he was right. The forest did distract me. The forest was the wolf's home, so of course I was distracted. I could still feel that pull within me that begged me to go and explore. The pull hadn't seemed as strong as it did now when I was training in the backyard. I thought it had something to do with Reese and my sudden need to explore with him by my side, but I couldn't be sure.

Without another word Reese tugged my hand and started leading me back to the house. Thankfully he knew where he was going because I had no idea. I was already lost. Though, now that I thought about it, I could have found my way back by following our scent trail back to the house. That wasn't necessary though, since I had Reese by my side.

Despite what had just happened, I felt comforted by his presence, just as I always had. I felt safe. But my mind was still tripping over itself to make sense of what was going on. His tentative kiss and hesitancy afterwards was simply confusing, and everything I was feeling for him suddenly seemed to multiply now that he had kissed me. I was overwhelmed and I had to work hard to not start hyperventilating right then and there.

Silence engulfed us all the way back to the house. I wanted to break it, but I had no idea what to say, nor did I have the courage to say anything. I wasn't one for making the first move or speaking first and that wasn't about to change.

We reached the house with our hands still entwined. When we came out of the forest, I expected him to let go, but he didn't. If anything, he held me tighter, preventing me from moving away or letting go myself. I wasn't complaining. Just like every time our skins touched, fire was brewing between us. And, as always, my reaction was always the same. All I wanted was to get as close as I could to the beautiful man beside me.

Suddenly my stomach grumbled. Reese pulled us to a halt and I flushed furiously. Only now did I remember where I had been heading before being drawn to the backdoor. I glanced at Reese. He stared at me for a moment, making sure I was tomato red before his face broke into a huge, swoon-winning grin.

"Well, that's probably why you were chasing food in your dreams tonight," he grinned and I couldn't help but smile back. He had an infectious smile. "Come on. I'll make you something to eat."

Abruptly he started moving again, this time with urgency. He tugged me along and I said nothing, surprise and warmth spreading through me at the thought of him making me something to eat. _He can cook?_ Was all I could really think.

When we reached the porch, he suddenly stopped, and I almost tripped over my feet. Cursing my clumsiness, I watched as Reese reached down and, without warning, took me in his arms. I just held in my squeak. Reese grinned cheekily at my surprise, chuckling slightly. My face burned, but Reese said nothing as he gently carried me up the porch steps and into the house.

I held on tightly to him, my arms wrapped around his neck, our faces inches from each other. All Reese had to do was turn his head to me and lean in a bit. But he didn't. He did look at me, grinning mischievously, but didn't move any closer. He said he didn't want to kiss me outside where I was distracted. Now that we were in the house, would he kiss me again? Did I want him to kiss me again? Oh God, yes!

Damn, I was losing it. My feelings for Reese were incomprehensible. I mean, I barely knew anything about him, so how could I feel so bonded to him? Was attraction the only thing between us? Was it that this man had simply been the one to awaken my libido and now all I wanted was him? Perhaps, but I was drawn to him too. I could feel it right down to my bones. I wanted him, in more ways than one. He wanted me too, but not for me, surely not. A part of me knew that he would never want me for me, no one ever had before, so why would he? But another part of me, a more confident and not well discovered part of me, thought that I should give Reese a chance. That, however, would require a lot of courage that I did not have. I had to find out, though. Not knowing was slowly eating away at me from within. I needed to know and soon.

All day I had been distracted, thinking about Reese. Max had realized my lack of attention during the day—hard not to when he was practically glued to my hip. He had been worried and had asked me several times if I was okay or if something was bothering me. He had even asked me again if Reese had done something, but I was able to shake him off with comments like "I'm tired" or "just thinking." He hadn't liked either response, but he had left it alone, thankfully.

As we crossed the threshold, Reese closed the door quietly behind us, and finally set me down, my body gliding against his as he did so. I gasped and quickly bit my lip, embarrassed. But I was almost instantly distracted by Reese's finger running down my cheek and his hand gliding down my back, staying just short of my backside.

"How do pancakes sound to you?" Reese whispered, breathing hard.

Pancakes? We were talking about food? How was my blood boiling if we were talking about food?

"Good… Sounds good," I breathed, trembling as he leaned down and kissed me gently on the cheek. My heart skipped a beat, and for a second I thought he was going to kiss me right then and there, but he pulled away, his eyes as dark as the night sky outside.

I inwardly sighed, pushing my back my disappointment and shame. I should be talking to him about how I felt or getting to know him, not wanting him to kiss me every second. But God, look at him. How could I not want him to kiss me? He was perfect. Big strong arms, broad shoulders, the perfect inverted triangle, tall, gorgeous and a smile that had me melting every time.

I suddenly became aware of the fact that Reese was taking off his sneakers and jacket. I hurried to do the same.

My feet were a little red from being squeezed in the boots, but they didn't hurt so it was okay. I stripped the jacket off and only just realized that it was Noahs. I hadn't noticed probably because I had Reese's sweater on as well and his scent was what I had been focusing on.

As I started to peel the sweater off, Reese grunted and grabbed my hand, stopping me. I looked up into his eyes and was taken aback at the possessive look I found there.

"Keep it on," he said, a little roughly. I blinked, and he added quickly, in a lighter tone, "It's cold in the house. You can keep it on if you want. That thing Nick got you doesn't look very warm, though it is very…flattering."

He smiled slyly down at me now and I felt myself smiling back. "Thank you," I said and readjusted his sweater over me. His grin widened and he quickly took my hand, leading me down the hallway towards the kitchen.

His hand was so soft and warm, though considerably larger than mine. His touch was so comforting too, and the blast of energy that sparked between us was like an intricately woven vine binding me to him. I was helpless against him.

"You don't have to do this, Reese, really. I can do it myself," I said as we entered the kitchen, but Reese waved me off, gesturing for me to sit. He grinned, showing me it wasn't an order, though it could have been since he was technically above me in this hierarchy thingy.

Sighing, I sat down and rested my hands on the table, watching Reese as he moved around the kitchen. His pyjama bottoms were hanging seductively off his hips and his T-shirt showed off all of his muscles. I felt myself blush, and instinctively I hugged his jumper to me. Damn, he smelled so good.

Reese looked over then and saw me pulling his jumper to me. His eyes darkened as he looked down at my legs that could be seen since the nightgown was so very short. I shifted in my seat at his ogling, feeling the temperature in my body escalate as the seconds ticked by.

Without a word, he put the pan in his hand on the counter, his eyes never leaving me. I swallowed as he started for me, his hungry look making everything below my navel clench in desire.

He reached me. His hand slid over my thigh, reaching the brim of my nightgown, playing with it with his fingers. I inhaled sharply and held on tightly to my stool. I felt like I was moments away from fainting. But Reese didn't seem to notice as he leaned in, holding himself just inches away from my lips, his hand still on my thigh.

My breathing was coming hard, though I tried desperately to keep it under wraps. Gently he pushed himself between my legs, now laying both his hands on each of my thighs. My heart was racing wildly out of control, but there was nothing humanly possible to get it back to normal, not when he was so close and his eyes were locked on mine.

"You're so sexy," he murmured over my lips, his hands now slipping under my nightgown. They didn't go all the way up, just enough to make me jump. Reese blinked then, as if he had just woken up, and instantly stepped back, taking his hands off of me.

"Sorry," he said quickly, his voice hoarse. He cleared his throat, brushing a hand through his hair, something he did often when he was frustrated or worried it seemed. He sighed and gave me a pleading look. "I'm so sorry. That was irresponsible of me, putting us both in that position. I'll keep my hands to myself from now on."

I tried to keep the disappointment off my face, but I don't think I managed it because he was soon adding, "It's not you, I promise. I already said it wasn't you, baby." He gave me a hard look. "Okay?"

"Okay," I whispered, though everything in me didn't believe him. How could it not be me? Why would he hesitate otherwise? Obviously he was having second thoughts.

"Look, let me get you something to eat and then we can talk, okay? Actually, now that I think about it, maybe I should make something cold, like sandwiches. I don't want to wake anyone up," he said thoughtfully and then shot me a grin. "But don't worry. You'll try my pancakes tomorrow morning, I promise."

I nodded, incapable of articulating a single word. Reese eyed me for a moment, his smile slowly fading. With a sigh he turned and put the pan away, starting on the sandwiches instead. I said nothing, just sat there feeling cold now that the heat had left my body. I hugged myself and tried—and failed—to make sense of what was going on.

"Here," he said eventually, and I jumped as he laid a plate down in front of me. I murmured my thank you and bit my lip nervously. He was so close I could feel his body heat, but he didn't touch me now. "Do you want to go eat in the study? It's better soundproofed than the kitchen."

I nodded a little more enthusiastically than I probably should have, but Reese just kept his perpetual smile at 100% and took the plate with one hand while grabbing my hand with the other, reigniting the spark between us. He still kept his distance, though, making sure our hands were the only things that were touching.

Once in the study he took me straight to the couch. He gestured for me to sit while he turned on the TV, putting it as low as it could go, but I could still hear it fairly clearly. Sitting beside me, he reached over to the coffee table and grabbed one of the sandwiches. I followed suit and together we watched a late night show—or should I say early morning show?—in silence, each munching away until there was nothing left on the plate in front of us.

"More?" he asked, reaching for the plate, but I shook my head. My hunger was sated and I would honestly prefer to just sit here with him and try to talk, though my insides squirmed at the thought.

"I'm fine now. Thank you, Reese." I smiled shyly at him and with more courage than I felt I had, I reached over and took his hand in mine, already missing the contact between us. The atmosphere between us had been relatively calm without the contact, but as soon as I touched him I felt the familiar jolt of electricity and felt my body warm from my head to my toes.

He inhaled sharply and held my gaze, his beautiful blue eyes darkening abruptly. My blood boiled beneath his gaze and I knew I was about to combust so I yanked my gaze away from him, bringing my hand back to my lap. I heard him release the air he had kept in, but I didn't look at him. He had said he would keep his hands to himself, but here I was practically throwing myself at him. I had never done something like that before and now all I felt was utter embarrassment.

"How long have you been with the Pack?" I asked, trying to break the awkward silence that had fallen between us. The tension was still about as high as the Empire State Building, or maybe that was just me and my raging hormones.

"Three years now," he murmured, and I chanced a glance at him. He was staring fixatedly at the TV until I looked at him. He met me with a look that instantly broke my heart. His eyes were filled with sadness and pain, and I wished I could just take it all away and give him back his beautiful smile. "They took me in when I was in trouble. I got mixed up with some mutts and soon I was running for my life. Elena tried to warn me about them, but before she got to me I ran into another group of mutts and they weren't as kind as the ones I had been running from. That's when Elena found me and got me out."

He sighed and pulled his gaze away from mine, closing his eyes. Unable to bare his evident pain, and despite my shyness, I reached out and took his hand again, pulling myself closer so we were touching now, pulling my legs up. I saw him swallow, but he didn't look at me or open his eyes. Even with his eyes closed I could see his agony written all over his face and it broke my heart.

I squeezed his hand and felt the two stubs there that I had seen the other day. Reese shivered and shifted beside me, opening his eyes to look at me sadly. He looked down at our hands and moved his, taking mine in his now, leaving his partly missing fingers on top.

"Like I said, they weren't very kind at all. This was their way of saying hello," he said lowly, leaning his head back against the couch again and closing his eyes. My heart beat wildly at his words and my head spun. Mutts had done this to him? How? When? Where? But I was too in shock to ask.

We sat in silence for a moment. The only thing I could hear was the nonsense on the TV and our slow, soft breathing. As I waited for him to talk again—or to move since I was too scared to make the first move again—all I could do was stare at him, studying every inch of his masculine features, falling on love with the shape of his strong jaw.

"There's another reason why I got into trouble for sleeping with you, Kim," he whispered eventually and opened his eyes. He frowned as he looked down at the couch were my bare feet could be seen, his lips pressing into a hard line as his eyes travelled from my feet up along my legs to my thighs. "Kim, aren't you cold?" His tone was almost stern.

Without warning, he let go of my hand and reached over, grabbing my ankles with both hands and pulling them up so I had my legs propped over his lap. I gasped at the sudden movement, but there was nothing I could do to stop him. He was much too quick and the look in his eyes told me he was in a no-nonsense protective mode.

I squirmed nervously as his hand trailed along my leg, thankful that I had managed to shave that morning. Still, no one had ever done this, tentatively trail their hand up and down my leg, warming up my body but not from the friction.

"I'm okay, Reese," I said, wondering what had happened to him keeping his hands to himself, though maybe protecting me from the cold was more important. I wanted to roll my eyes at this. Reese just shook his head and continued to tantalize me with his touch. I pouted. I couldn't care less about my legs then when all I wanted to know was what else he had been in trouble for. But oh, God, why did his touch feel so intimate?

"You have soft skin," he murmured absentmindedly as he watched he hands trace my legs up and down. Suddenly his hand went down to my feet and he growled lowly when he found them cold, very cold.

"I forgot to put something on because I didn't want to wake anyone up, Reese. I'm sorry," I said quickly, not wanting him to be angry at me. He sighed and shook his head.

"I'm supposed to look after you, Kim," he started to say, but my soft growl cut him off. He looked surprised at me, but my sudden anger was not about to be put out by his heart stopping blue eyes.

"Why? Why do you have to look after me? Because you're older than me and supposed to protect me?" I shook my head. "I know I still don't understand all this hierarchy stuff, but it's just cold feet, Reese. I'm not going to die because of cold feet."

I did not mind people caring for me, in fact I loved it, but I wanted them to care because they wanted to, not because some hierarchy crap told them to.

"I don't need you to be worrying about me for every little thing, Reese. I'm a grown woman. I can look after myself, at least for some things," I said, flushing at the end, realizing that now I really did need him and the Pack to look after me or I was a goner. Damn, I hadn't thought about that.

Reese raised his hands in a _I come in peace_ gesture. "I know, I know, Kim, trust me, I know. Someone that needed to be taken care of would not have lived very long with Dustin and Bruce. This is why we have so much trouble trying to convince Max that we can look after him, that he doesn't have to do it all himself." He rolled his eyes at this and smiled at me, dropping his hands and letting them roam free again. "You're strong and independent. I see that and respect it. But it's instinct for me to want to protect you." He wasn't looking at me when he added under his breath, speaking more to himself than to me, "In more ways than one."

My heart jumped into my throat and all I could do was stare, but he paid me no attention as he massaged my legs. I was having a hard time on concentrating as his touch boiled the blood beneath my skin.

"You'll get used to it once you let instinct take over. You and your wolf need the Pack, baby, so it's only a matter of time before you give in. And once you're ready you will have Noah, Max and the twins in your charge." I made a face at that. Reese must have seen it out of the corner of his eye because he grinned a moment later. "Give it time, Kim."

I sighed but said nothing. He was probably right, but everything inside of me was trying to fight against all this hierarchy stuff. It went against everything I believed in. But I could feel a part of me, the animal part of me, want this. She wanted to be protected and to protect. She felt it was right. I wasn't so sure. But I knew I had to accept this. It was part of my new life and I had to adapt. But what kind of person would that make me, to just put aside human equality rights for the sake of fitting in?

"Noah will eventually be able to protect himself and will only need your guidance. But Max…Max is a different story," he said, his warm hands burning against my skin now. "His past has had a hard toll on him. You don't always see it, but it's there. He has little control over his wolf and that in the long run can be dangerous. He's only 15, though, and Elena is confident that together we can help him."

When I said nothing, Reese looked up, but I couldn't meet his eye and quickly looked away, biting my lip.

"Kim?" he said softly, but I still didn't look at him. Max had told me his true age in confidence. Though deep down I knew I should probably tell someone, I couldn't betray his trust like that. But I knew I would not be able to lie to Reese. My entire being rebelled at the thought.

I heard Reese sigh then as his hands stopped moving. "Max spoke to you, didn't he?" I didn't respond, didn't even move. "His not 15, is he?"

I shook my head ad looked up, giving him a pleading look. He sighed again, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. He was quiet for a moment, probably preparing himself for the truth, because seconds later he said in a desolated voice, "Tell me."

"13," I whispered, bowing my head, ashamed that I had already broken Max's trust.

Reese growled lowly. I looked up, but his eyes were still closed, his jaw clenched. He took deep, long breaths through his nose for about a minute before he finally opened his eyes. In them I could see the remnants of his wolf.

"Thank you for telling me," he murmured, looking back down at my legs, his eyes not really seeing. I knew what he was thinking. Max was tiny and so, so young. I had seen what Bruce and Dustin did to him. Max had been with them for years before he left them. No one could survive that without serious consequences. Max's serious overprotectiveness and aggressiveness were just some of them.

Without a word, Reese's hand slowly drifted down to my feet again, moving them so they were on his lap now, distracting me from my thoughts. Instinctively I tried to pull them away, but Reese held me tight. Gently he took one foot and massaged it, the subject of Max left behind for now, but not forgotten.

I bit my lip to keep my moan in as fire lit up anew within me. "Is this included in your _duties_?" I whispered, digging my nails into the couch as he dug his thumb into a sensitive spot. He suddenly looked up and I could see that his eyes were almost black again. Oh my.

"Well, I am caring for you in a way, aren't I?" he said lowly, a hint of a smile on his lips. He dug his thumb into another spot. I moaned. He stopped, watching me closely. My breathing was coming in short and harsh pants and I couldn't seem to get it under control.

"Why else did you get in trouble, Reese?" I asked, trying desperately to straighten out my jumbled thoughts to no avail, but I could remember this one question for some reason. My heart thumped wildly when Reese's eyes met mine, wild, unquestionable hunger burning within them.

"Do you know how delicious you smell, Kim?" he asked, closing his eyes for moment. Everything south of my navel was suddenly an inferno, a delicious inferno.

"I thought you had it under control," I murmured softly, my mind reeling from his words and the hungry look that couldn't seem to leave his eyes. I was trembling now and not from fear. This was pure, barely contained desire. How could this one man awaken me so when no one else had?

"I don't, though I should," he sighed and he seemed angry with himself. "It only took me a moment to control myself when I met Elena, and even Noah has your scent under control, but I don't." He shifted, moving my feet closer to him, and I felt it, proof that he wanted me, right now.

"I don't know if I can control myself," he murmured, his voice as dark and intense as his eyes. "I've already proven in the forest and the kitchen that I can't resist you." I sat up now, pulling my feet to me. I was trying to absorb his words, but my brain had melted from the overheating of my body.

"I..." I tried to say, but failed when nothing came out. What was I supposed to say to that? He just admitted he wanted me for my scent. Shit.

"Your scent, your body and this pull... You don't know how hard it is for me to stay in control right now," he said lowly, practically growling.

Oh, my God. I was hyperventilating. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what to say. I had never been in a situation like this before. I wanted him, but oh, God, what was I thinking? My body was way ahead of my thoughts and I just couldn't keep up.

"I don't know what to say," I whispered, feeling utterly stupid, but it was the truth. Reese's piercing eyes finally looked away as he closed them and pulled away from me. I watched him as he took several deep long breaths before eventually opening his eyes. They were almost entirely blue now.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said that, nor should I be here. I know I can't control myself so I shouldn't be tempting myself with you so close and alone..." He shook his head as if trying to rid himself of a pestering fly.

"I don't understand, Reese," I whispered, forcing myself to try and focus on what he was saying and not on how he was making me feel. "I don't think you would hurt me."

"Neither do I," he said quickly, looking alarmed at me. He shook his head, sighing. "It's not that, baby. There are just some things…," he started to say and broke off, starting again. "I can't do this, not like this. I need to give you time to adjust. I can't take advantage of your confusion and I won't. And if I stay here with you any longer…," he trailed off, his hands tightening around my feet, "…I'm afraid I won't be able to stop myself."

I stared at him. Shouldn't I be the one to decide how I wanted this? I had no idea if I was ready, but I did not want him thinking that I was a confused little werewolf or something. I wanted to argue, to just say something, but he spoke before I could. "We should get back to bed. You have to continue your training tomorrow."

My heart fell at his tone, as if he was trying to keep in some unbidden emotion. My body went from overheated to chilling in a matter of seconds as I took in Reese's features, pulling my legs back to me. He was trying hard to stay in control. I could see it in his eyes, in his posture, in the tension in his shoulders. Why was he holding back? I thought he wanted me.

"Reese, I…" My voice was small and weak, and I had no idea what I wanted to say. I just knew I didn't want him to go. "I don't want to go back to bed. I don't want to have any more nightmares. Please." I was begging by the end. I had no idea what was happening or what had changed Reese's mind so suddenly, but I couldn't let him go like this.

"Stay with me. I trust you. Please," I tried, and he groaned softly, burying his head in his hands as he rested his elbows on his legs.

"Kim," he sighed softly, his shoulders relaxing slightly. He looked up after a moment and held my gaze. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," I said without missing a beat. Jeez, I sounded desperate, but I couldn't care less. I needed him, anyway I could have him.

Reese nodded and I saw him give in. But as he moved towards me, I could see caution in every motion. Had I been a more forthcoming girl, or braver, bolder, more confident, I wouldn't have doubted in making the first move when he had admitted his attraction to me, but I wasn't any of those things, at least not enough to be able to make any move at all.

Gently, Reese wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me towards him until I was lying atop of him. I could still feel the evidence of his arousal from just moments ago and I tried to ignore it as best I could, failing miserably. I flushed, but Reese never saw it as I rested my head on his chest.

"Good night, Reese," I murmured as he turned off the TV with the remote and then wrapped his arms around my body, holding me against him once more.

"Good night, baby," he murmured. I barely had time to process where I was or what had just happened before sleep took me in his arms, feeling safe and at home.


	8. Ch 7 Strained

I own nothing except some original characters I sometimes bring in. The Otherworld and all

its characters belong to Kelley Armstrong.

*I want to thank SuperNatural1985 for all her help, amazing support and excellent editing skills without which this would not be possible. I encourage you all to please read her stories, especially the new and improved **The Way In: Defiance**, at the end of which Kim is introduced.

***Please read SuperNatural1985's **_**Pact**_** for different POVs to **_**Enraptured**_*****

Ch 7 Strained

I gazed up at Reese's face and knew I had to be dreaming. How could I be waking up in the arms of such a handsome man? I honestly would never have thought it possible, and yet here I was, captive in this beautiful man's arms as he slept peacefully.

I had been awake for a while now. The strain in my muscles had gone from uncomfortable to downright painful. I knew I should wake Reese up and tell him, but I couldn't. First of all, I simply did not want to be moved from the haven of his arms—or from his body since I was splayed out over him and had slept like that all night. And secondly, I still had no idea what I should say to him when he woke.

Reese sighed softly in his sleep and his arms tightened their hold on me. I waited but he didn't stir. Sighing in relief, I rested my head back down on my hands to continue studying him, trying to decipher what he had said last night—or this morning I should say—but I honestly wasn't getting very far.

For some reason that only Reese knew and understood, this man wanted me. He hadn't said exactly why he wanted me, but he had said that my scent was delicious, that he liked my skin and that I was sexy. And he could feel the pull too. I had wondered about it, but now I knew. He could feel the heart-stopping energy that buzzed between us every time our skins made contact. But what did this mean? I had never felt anything remotely similar with anyone. Well, everything I felt when I was Reese was new to me so that wasn't a surprise really, but still. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to know what this energy connection meant.

I shook my head, deciding that this could wait for later. What I needed to focus on now was the fact that Reese had admitted that he wanted me. For the love of God, he had even taken me on a moonlight stroll and kissed me in the forest, though he had pulled back after. Even in the kitchen he had seemed drawn to me. Why, I had no idea, but he had. He had proven to me in more ways than one that he wanted me. And damn, I wanted him too. But all of this was so wrong and inappropriate that I couldn't understand how I could be even contemplating all of this.

Gently, so as to not wake Reese, I reached out and lightly touched his face, grazing my finger over his cheek and down his jaw line. He moaned something, but it was too low for me to make out. I traced his lips and he sighed, pulling me closer to him if that was even possible.

I sighed, pulling my hand back. What was I going to do? I wanted him, though I knew I shouldn't. I barely knew him for one thing. Two, we lived together and sometimes slept in the same bed—or couch—so things would be awkward, at least for me. Three, what would everyone else think, not to mention Max? Four, speaking of Max, he would probably murder Reese if it even came to that. Five, is this really what I want for my first time? I had always imagined hearts, roses, romance and the works before even getting to this stage. But my body was always burning with flaming hot desire whenever I was with him, even now—especially now—that I was lying atop his gorgeous body.

Me even thinking all of this was the height of inappropriate, I knew that. I mean, considering everything that had happened, I had bigger things to deal with, but I couldn't get Reese out of my head, or out of my system for that matter. He had taken over my mind and body within just 48 hours. Emily, my roommate and best friend, would no doubt have something to say about that and nothing good.

Still, the fact remained that Reese was holding back, he had said so himself. Why? Because he thought I wasn't ready and that I had other things I needed to focus on. The latter is true, even I won't deny that, but I believe I had every right to decide if I was ready or not. Maybe I am, maybe I'm not, I don't know, but I should be the one to decide that, not him, or Elena or anyone else. My life, my choice, my decision, and no hierarchy crap was going to change that, even if all Reese wanted was sex. I just wanted the decision to be mine.

So what was my decision? Sleep with Reese and then what? Would he still want me once he had gotten into my pants? Would I still want him? Would I be frowned upon? What would they think of me sleeping with a guy just two days after meeting him? What would Max think? Oh God, what do I think? I don't know, damn it. My body was leading this battle, not my brain, and both were having a hard time fighting Reese right then when he was lying beneath me.

Reese groaned suddenly and his eyes fluttered open, instantly meeting mine. Shit. _Way to be caught staring, Kim_. I quickly sat up so I was straddling him and tried to get off him, but his hands were instantly on my hips, holding me steady, and he sat up so we were practically nose to nose, taking my breath away in seconds. Oh my.

"Good morning," he murmured, leaning in so close that our noses were almost brushing against each other. My already pounding heart went into hyper drive and breathing suddenly became very, very difficult.

"Morning," I breathed. He was so close, his scent so intoxicating., his hair all messy and sexy looking. God, how was I supposed to resist this man? Did I even want to? Hell no.

He leaned back a bit and gazed at me for a moment. His hands trailed from my hips, up my back, gently touching my hair before wrapping around my waist. Briefly my mind wandered to last night and how he had been so quick to pull away, fearing he wouldn't be able to control himself. Now though, he didn't even seem to be trying.

"Kim, about last night…I really do want you, you know. So when the time comes, when you're ready, if you…" he trailed off, his eyes holding mine in their fiery pit. Oh, my God. I could feel the reaction to his words right in the pit of my stomach, making me want to squeeze my legs shut suddenly.

Feeling emboldened by his words, I slowly and lightly moved my hands up his chest and around his neck, watching as his eyes darkened and his breathing accelerated. Jeez, this guy woke up easily and quickly, but I was so not complaining.

My breathing was harsh and out of control. Reese was slowly moving in with scorching dark eyes, and I couldn't seem to make myself move at all. Reese had a light hold on me, so I could get away if I wanted to, but I so did not want to.

"Yes, Reese?" I asked breathlessly, trying to understand how the Reese from last night, who had barely wanted to touch me after our encounter in the kitchen, though he had failed miserably, was now deliberately touching me, a lot. I needed to take advantage of this, I decided.

Sucking in my shyness, I lifted a hand and tangled it in his hair, feeling as he came closer. He closed his eyes briefly and when he opened them, there was almost no blue to be found. He was just centimetres from my lips now. His eyes searched mine and I tried to pour all my desire into the pleading look I gave him. I had never felt bolder or more wanted than in this moment, feeling and seeing Reese's desire for me. The knowledge was exhilarating.

Reese was suddenly so close that I could feel his breath on my lips. He was so close that our noses were brushing against each other. I squeezed my eyes shut then, feeling how every molecule in my body wanted this, desired this, needed this.

His lips brushed against mine gently, instantly igniting the fire that erupted in the pit of my stomach. He groaned and quickly pressed his lips firmly against mine. I gasped at the sudden blast of electricity that zapped between our lips, leaving me completely and utterly breathless. I shifted against Reese, my sealed lips still pressed against his, trying to get more comfortable as he fisted his own hand in my hair, and I felt his arousal pressed against me. Oh, God.

"Ahem," I heard and jumped a mile into the air. Looking up, I saw Antonio standing in the doorway with his arms crossed, looking stern, though his eyes held a hint of amusement. "Good morning," he said, a smile breaking through his lips.

I flushed and jumped off of Reese. He somehow caught me before I collided head first with the coffee table, but I quickly pulled away, too embarrassed now that we had been caught. Oh, god, oh god, oh god. What now? What would Antonio think of me? Shit.

My heart was pounding loudly and rapidly within my chest and my breathing was so out of control I was practically gasping for air and there was no hiding it in front of Antonio. I felt Reese stand beside me as we faced Antonio and the older man gazed at him with a raised eyebrow. Oh no. We were in trouble for sure.

"You have some mean hunting skills, sweetie, if you can get out of the room without me hearing you," he grinned, though his face soon turned stern. "However, I suggest you go up to the bedroom before Max wakes up. I don't want to have to tell him about this, please," he said, still looking at Reese. Oh crap. Reese was in trouble, not me.

"It's not his fault, Antonio," I said, stepping forward. "I asked Reese to...um, stay with me. Please don't be angry with him." I felt myself go crimson. Looking away from Antonio, I bit my lip, hoping he wouldn't be too angry with me.

"Sweetie, I'm not angry with him or you," he said, smiling now. When he saw my confused face, he sighed and gave Reese a look. "We were angry with Reese, Kim, because we felt you needed some space and we simply asked him to slow down as you both needed time to readjust." Okay, if I wasn't red before, I certainly was now. Jeez, was it normal for them to address these things in group or something? "Obviously," Antonio continued, feigning dismay, "we spoke to the wrong person."

He smiled warmly at me, but I couldn't get myself to return it. I was so not comfortable with all of them discussing how I felt about Reese and making decisions about it. Not to mention that I wasn't entirely comfortable with being seen while I kissed someone. Public displays of affection weren't my thing, I guess.

"Tonio," Reese said beside me, and I could hear the light warning in his voice. I glanced at him and found him watching me apprehensively. "Go upstairs, Kim. I want to talk to Antonio for a moment," he said gently. "I'll be fine," he added when I didn't move.

"Please go, Kim. I really don't want Max waking up to an empty room and to then come down and find us here. Please," Antonio said so sincerely that I knew that the last thing he wanted was to argue with Max. I thought back to how he had called Max his son the other day. He obviously loved him very much and would want what was best for him—even if that meant drugging him for him to finally rest—and right then what was best was for me to be upstairs and in bed when he woke up.

"Okay," I murmured and looked at Reese. He gave me a small smile and a look that told me we would talk later. I nodded, biting my lip, and headed towards the door. Antonio gave me another warm smile when I passed him and I was able to return it this time.

Closing the door behind me, I started down the hallway towards the staircase, but I didn't go very far. Just a few steps down I stopped and leaned against the wall, waiting. I hated eavesdropping since it violated so many principles of privacy, but I just had to know what Reese and Antonio spoke about. Me, obviously, but how? Good or bad, angry or happy?

"You've really got it bad, haven't you?" I heard Antonio ask softly. He was talking lowly and even with my heightened hearing I could just make out his words. I didn't hear Reese respond. My heart was pounding in my chest from the knowledge that I was going against the rules right then, so loudly that I wondered if the men in the room next door could hear it.

Antonio sighed and I heard someone taking a few steps in the room. "You know I really am happy for you, Reese." He chuckled suddenly and I could imagine his smile, the same one as his son. "After all this time, Reese, it's nice to finally see you with a lady. Just be careful. I don't want to see either of you get hurt."

"I won't hurt her, I promise. I did what Elena ordered and stayed away from her. But last night she found me on the porch when I was just trying to think. We were alone and I couldn't…" I could hear the desperation in Reese's voice, making me just want to go to him. "I really like her, Tonio. We both do, and I don't want to scare her away with the truth." _We_?

A thump from the staircase had me jumping again, my heart skipping a beat. Turning around, I saw no one there but could hear someone coming down the stairs. Quickly and silently I started walking again, trying to even out my accelerated breathing and to look as though I hadn't been doing something I shouldn't have been.

"Morning, beautiful," Nick beamed at me when we met at the base of the staircase. I murmured my greeting, blushing at his endearment, and made to continue upstairs, but Nick stopped me with his next words. "Hey, isn't that Reese's?" he asked, and out of the corner of my eye I saw him point to the sweater I was still wearing and had slept in.

"Um," I said lamely, flushing as I turned to face him. Great, now everyone was going to find out about last night. "Yes," I answered without even looking at him. I turned and left before he could say anything and practically ran to my room.

Closing the door behind me, I leaned against it and tried to gather my reeling thoughts. So Reese really liked me and had said so to Antonio but not me? That hurt, yes, but I was too happy about the fact that he had actually admitted it to care who he had said it to.

I lifted a hand to my lips and couldn't help smiling. I could still feel the zap that had blasted between us, just as it had the previous night. My mind was still reeling from the fact that he had kissed me. Twice. And he had said that he wanted to do again and again and again. But I couldn't seem to take my mind off of Reese's words. Who the hell was _we_? Reese and Antonio, Reese and Max, Reese and who? I had no idea. But then it hit, like a punch to the stomach. Reese and his wolf.

No, surely not. He had said that the wolf was not a separate being but one with him. So why would he talk about his inner wolf like that, like he liked me too and not just Reese? Oh God, what was going on? Had Reese lied or had he been talking about someone else? This was so confusing that I couldn't even be happy about the fact that he had admitted that he really did like me.

And then—good God—what truth? What truth could possibly scare me away? I was a werewolf, damn it, what could possibly be scarier than that, than learning that you had been turned into one of the creatures of the dark? What could be scarier than learning that you could kill an innocent human being if you lost just a slither of control?

Max suddenly groaned from the bed and rolled onto the area where I had been sleeping, jolting awake in an instant.

"Kim?" he said urgently, sitting up and desperately looking around until he found me at the door. I pulled on the best smile I could manage right then and started towards him.

"Hey," I grinned, sitting down on the bed while he just frowned at me. "I was just getting a drink. How did you sleep?" Why did he suddenly look so angry? And why was he flaring his nostrils like he had just smelled something disgusting?

"Kim, why are you wearing Reese's sweater and why do smell like him?" Shit, he sounded angry, very angry, though he was obviously trying to rein it all in. "Why are you lying to me?" He looked wounded and I instantly felt terrible about lying to him. I owed him my life, and this was how I repaid him?

"I was just...please don't be mad, Max. Nothing happened—"

"Did you sleep with him?" His tone was ice cold, his look chilling me to the bone. Shit. I felt like I was being scolded, though I knew I hadn't technically done anything wrong. Nervously, I played with my hair, twirling it in my hand. His eyes went wide suddenly as he stared at my neck. "What the fuck is that, Kim?" he growled, pointing at my neck.

Oh no. I had completely forgotten about the hickey he had given me in the forest. "Um, we… I didn't… Yes, we slept together, but we didn't…you know…" I said lamely, feeling myself flush crimson. Without warning Max was out of bed and heading towards the door looking like he was about to storm the Bastille.

"Max, wait, please," I said desperately, standing and going to him, grabbing his arm before he reached the door. He stopped but he didn't turn to face me. I could see the muscles in his shoulders bulging up dangerously. "I went to him. I asked him to sleep with me."

Max spun around, giving me a furious look. "And did you ask him to mark you too?"

"M-mark me?" I stammered. It was just a hickey.

Max growled and clenched his fists at his sides. "You don't understand, do you? You don't know what that means," he growled, pointing to my neck again. "He's marked you as his. The whole Pack will see it and know you belong to him."

"Wait, what? I don't belong to anyone, Max. He did this because we were…um…" I trailed off again, unable to continue. Jeez, why couldn't I just say it? That we had been messing around, touching, feeling, kissing.

Max understood my meaning, though, and he didn't like it one bit. "Why the fuck would you even go to him in the first place, Kim?" He growled, throwing up his hands. "I'm trying to protect you. I won't allow him to hurt you. He's—"

"That's enough, Max," I said exasperatedly, surprising even myself, but I had honestly had enough of all this dominance and territoriality crap. We lived in the 21st Century, for the love of God. I was so not putting up with any more of this, not from Max, Reese or anyone else.

Max blinked and the anger almost drained from his face as the surprise took over. He quickly took a hold of my hand, but I was unrelenting. "Really, Max, I love that you care so much about me, but now you're suffocating me," I said sternly. I didn't want to hurt him, but this was important. I could not keep living like this, not being able to make even the most simplest of decisions for myself. "If I want to be with him, I should be the one to decide that, not you, okay? I love you, Max, like the little brother I never had, but I don't need you to protect me, not anymore. We're with the Pack now and Elena has promised me protection. And Reese isn't going to hurt me, I trust him, and I thought you did too."

"I do, Kim, I really do, but I can't trust him with you. I see the way he looks at you. He wants you. And you want him. But if he ever hurts you, I might kill him, Kim. I don't want to kill him." He lifted a hand and caressed my cheek, but I shook my head and pulled away from his touch and let go of his hand. "No, Kim, listen," he said urgently, taking my hand again. "I don't know how he feels for you. I can't trust his word when your scent is so strong and arousing for him. I don't know what's leading him, if his heart or his—"

"Agh," I groaned, cutting him off and throwing up my hands and crossing them over my chest. I glared at Max. Surprise lit up Max's face, but I didn't give him time to voice it. "Please Max, just cool it. You can't say anything to Reese since he didn't do anything wrong. I asked him to sleep with me and I'm the one that went to him last night. He didn't do anything that I didn't want him to do. So if you're going to be angry with anyone then it should be me."

"No, Kim, I could never be angry with you," he said, taking a hold of my shoulder with his only healthy arm—the other was still wrapped tightly against his chest. His eyes were wide with sudden fear, and his fear was all it took for me to crumble. I let my arms drop and wrapped them around his waist. He pulled me into his embrace and I felt him sigh in relief, I think.

"I'm so sorry, Kim," he murmured against my shoulder and I pulled him closer to me, inhaling his comforting scent. "I didn't mean to suffocate you. I just wanted to protect you. I can't promise that I'll back off, I just can't, Kim. It's in my nature. But," he said gently, rubbing soft circles into my back when he felt me stiffen in his arms, "I understand that he didn't do anything...wrong. And I'll try to back off, even though he's provoking me by marking you. You are not his."

"Thank you," I whispered, keeping in my sigh, and pulled back, smiling down at him. I realized that I was asking a lot of him, asking him to go against his nature, but I couldn't keep living like this. If I was going to stay, I needed to know that I would be able to make my own decisions, though that would be hard with the Alpha around, but for now it seemed to be okay.

"You really love me, Kim?" he asked, looking a little wary now. I grinned, remembering how he had needed reassurance that I was okay with him being gay when we first met, so I guess this was more of the same.

"Of course I do, Max. How could I not?" I grinned and quickly hugged him again. He was a little shorter than me which just increased the sense of brotherly love that I had for him, not to mention the fact that he was just 13 and I was 21. I was an only child, but I could feel the bond between Max and me that could only be described as sibling love, I guess.

"I love you too, Kim," he murmured and I smiled widely into his shoulder. We had been through so much together and he had done so much for me that it was almost impossible for me not to love this lost little boy.

"We should go down to breakfast," Max said, his protectiveness kicking in again as he pulled away and grabbed my hand, pulling me towards the door. He was still smiling and I could see the happiness glistening in his eyes. Had I really just done that or was his happiness caused by something else entirely?

"I want to shower first," I said with a smile and let go of his hand, turning towards the bathroom, leaving no room for argument. Max grinned and nodded, saying that was fine and that he would wait. I hadn't been seeking his permission, but he could have this one for now. It was a fight for another day and one I was so not looking forward to.

Once I was ready, we made our way downstairs together, hand in hand. Holding hands was become more and more familiar as the days went by, both with Reese and Max, though Elena had said it would be like this with all the men. Eventually I would be as close to them as I was to Max. I was far too close to Reese to have that relationship with them all. Besides, Elena had assured me that while female werewolves were cherished, they were not treated as baby-making machines.

Before we reached the kitchen I could smell the pancakes. We entered the room and the smell engulfed us. I knew who had made them before Max asked Antonio who was uncovering two plates full of pancakes. Max did not seem bothered by Reese making breakfast since he quickly took me to my seat beside Nick and dug in.

I reached for the maple syrup, pushing my hair back before it fell into my plate. Instantly I saw Nick's eyes go to my neck, a grin appearing over his gorgeous lips. Grabbing the maple syrup, I poured it over my pancakes, pulling my hair over to cover the love bite as I did so. I just had to remember not to move my hair around, something I did a lot if I was nervous or anxious, and knowing these two men knew about last night made me very anxious. Luckily I was very hungry and my hands were occupied for the rest of breakfast.

Neither Nick nor Antonio made any comment on last night or on Reese. They just spoke about work, asked us if we wanted something special for lunch and if we needed more clothes. I rejected Nick's offer to go shopping, more so when he assured me he would be paying. Most people like getting gifts and being bought stuff. Not me. I just feel awkward and like I owed them.

A little while later I was following Elena into the study. I hadn't seen Reese at all since I had woken up, though he had obviously kept his promise about making me breakfast. The thought made me feel warm and tender inside, making me ache to see him even more. Later hopefully I would be able to go look for him and we could talk, or not. He had said that he wanted to wait until I had adapted and had accepted who I was before letting anything happen between us, though obviously he was having a hard time keeping his word. Well, I was going to make it a little harder. I didn't want to wait. Whatever this was, I wanted to find out now, but I guess that would have to wait. I had lessons to attend to first.

I sat down on the couch Reese and I had slept on last night while Elena rummaged around in one of the drawers. Gently she pulled out an old looking book and brought it over, sitting down beside me.

"This is the Legacy, Kim," she said and laid it on my lap. "This holds the Pack's entire history." And with that she proceeded to tell me about what exactly was within this book. I skimmed it gently as she spoke about some of the stories that could be found within, being extra careful as I felt the weight of the Pack's history in my hands.

It was truly a fascinating book with so much information that it would take me days to read it thoroughly, though apparently that was Elena's intention. If I was going to be a part of this Pack, then I needed to understand it and in order to understand it I needed to know about its past.

Eventually I reached the section of the Pack's family tree, or the equivalent of that I suppose. I traced the members of the Pack through the centuries until I reached the members of the modern day Pack. I found everyone plus the two members I had still not met. Most of the members, however, didn't have any lines linking them to previous Pack members. They were blips, Elena said and she was one too, meaning they had joined the Pack and had not been born into it, though Noah was the exception.

My mind reeled as she told me the short version of Noah's introduction to the Pack and about how his father and grandfather had left years before he was even born. I felt sick when she told me how his grandfather had been killed by some mutts, the same mutts that had cut off Reese's fingers, and she gave me a sympathetic look.

"I don't want to scare you, Kim, but this is the reality. We're not monsters, but you have seen so yourself that there are some bad mutts out there, dangerous mutts."

I nodded, trying to push back the dread that was quickly building up. I knew I needed to accept this and deal with it, but it wasn't so easy. Did I want to belong in a world where killing people was the norm, the key to survival even? Then again, did I even have an alternative? No, being a female, Elena had made it quite clear that I would last about as long as an ant against a spider.

"I was going to add you in soon," she said and pointed to the empty spot beside Reese's name who was also a blip. Only Jeremy, Antonio, Nick and Noah had lines connecting them to the Pack's past.

"Um, that would be..." I started to say, but trailed off when I couldn't put words to my emotions. To have my name in the Legacy, to be put into the Pack's history book alongside everyone else...I felt elated and a sense of happiness blossomed within me at the thought. But I could also feel a sense of guilt at knowing that I was somehow turning my back on my family. After all, the Pack was supposed to be my family too, right? That was what Elena had said. So how did my family fit into my new life? Was there even a place for them?

"We don't have to do this now, hon, whenever you're ready," Elena added quickly when I was quiet for too long.

I breathed in deeply and closed my eyes, trying to relax. I couldn't bring my family into this life. It was too dangerous for them. I couldn't bear the thought of having them being hurt because of me.

"Honey, what's wrong? Talk to me, please," she said gently, taking my hand in hers over the book.

"I...I was just thinking...about my parents," I said softly, squeezing my eyes to hold back the tears.

"Oh, sweetie," she whispered and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "I know it's going to be hard without them, but once you have control over your Changes you will be able to see them a lot more often. For now, though, we need to keep you here so you can train and learn control."

"No," I said, shaking my head as I wiped away a stray tear, "it's not that. It's just that I'm not sure if there is a place for them in my new life. It's just so dangerous..."

"No, honey. I mean, yes, it is dangerous, but we will be very careful. No harm will come to your parents. You won't be able to tell them what you are as that will keep them safer than you'll ever know."

Elena squeezed my shoulder as she spoke and I couldn't help but lean into her, giving into the familiar feeling that she had explained were Pack bonds. My wolf needed a leader, someone to look after me, and that was Elena. I understood that, but that didn't mean I liked it. I had just grown used to being independent and not relying on someone, and now suddenly I needed a leader? Not only that, but this thing inside of me actually wanted a leader. Again, it was all just so confusing.

"I understand," I eventually said, pushing these thoughts aside. I needed to focus on the here and now. Soon I would have to face my parents, but not yet.

A knock on the door made me jump, startling me out of my mixed up emotions. Elena chuckled softly and told me to relax and to give it time, and that everything would be okay. Giving me one last squeeze around the shoulders, she pulled away and stood, granting entrance to whoever had knocked on the door.

I turned and instinctively stood as an unknown man walked into the room. I barely saw the woman behind him as my eyes locked with his, feeling my wolf rise within me as his werewolf scent reached me. I felt the familiar pull to back down from this large man, but I could also feel the instinct of holding my ground. _This is my territory, not his._

Suddenly he growled lowly and I yanked my gaze away from his, feeling dazed and confused about what I had just felt. Territory? Since when did I have territory?

"Kim," I heard Elena say and felt her hand on my shoulder as she stood beside me. "This is Karl Marsten." Oh. A Pack member, one of the two I hadn't met yet.

Karl gazed at me with his light blue eyes, taking me in from head to toes and back again. No, he was not checking me out. He honestly seemed to be judging me, so I stood as tall as I could, but he still towered over me. Just like almost all the men in the Pack, he was tall and had enough muscle to take down an entire football team. This man, however, was handsome and had a certain charm about his look with his strong features, dark hair and sophisticated clothes. Being gorgeous seemed to be the norm with werewolves, honestly, except for me of course.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Kimberly," he eventually said, having already made his judgement, though he obviously wasn't going to clue me in. He offered me his hand and I shook it, feeling his strong grip. I swallowed and tried to hide as best I could just how much this man intimidated me.

"And this is his wife, Hope and his daughter, Nita," Elena said, continuing the introductions despite my unease.

A woman stepped into the room behind Karl and completely disarmed me with her smile. She was tiny, even smaller than me, and looked to be Indian. She had beautiful brown curls that framed her face and brought out her golden brown eyes. Her daughter, Nita, was asleep in her arms.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, hon," she beamed. I flushed and nodded, at a loss for words. Her husband had seemed so hostile that I had expected the same from her. I knew she wasn't a werewolf, as Elena and me were the only known female werewolves in existence, but I knew she must have been a supernatural of sorts to know about werewolves.

"And lastly, this is Morgan Walsh," Elena said with an air of finality, gesturing to the young man with flaming red hair that I had not noticed until then hiding just inside the doorway.

Piercing green eyes met mine, and though I hadn't caught his scent yet, his name told me exactly who he was. I held his gaze for as long as I dared, hoping to get across the message that I was not a submissive, but nor did I want to challenge him. He was tall too, and while he didn't have as much muscle as Karl, he no doubt could take me down in the blink of an eye.

"Nice to meet you, Kim," he grinned and stepped forward, holding out his hand to me. I smiled back at him, finding his easy smile contagious, and shook his hand. He had an accent that I had heard before and could easily place. I had lived in Canada for years, after all. Before I could mention it, though, Elena told us to head out to the dining room for snacks.

"Wait. Can I ask you something first?" I asked as the visitors started to leave the room. Karl turned and stared at me for a moment and then at Elena before heading out behind his wife. Only then did I see Max in the doorway. How long had he been standing there? I held in my sigh of exasperation and waited for Elena while she closed the door. Karl saw Max, who hadn't moved at all and was still watching me, and grabbed the front of his shirt, growling at him to move.

"What's up, honey?" she asked, sounding worried. I twirled my hands in front of me, not meeting her gaze. How could I ask this?

"Um, I had just thought…well, when I saw you and Clay that…werewolves only had werewolf mates…" I cut myself off when I realized how stupid that was. If female werewolves were so rare, how could male werewolves mate with their own kind? Okay, they could of course, but I hadn't seen Max with any other Pack member. Speaking of which, I didn't even know if Max had a mate. He seemed pretty young, so maybe he just had a boyfriend or something.

"Hope is a supernatural, hon, as is Jeremy's mate, Jaime," she smiled. "If you found someone outside of the Pack you wanted to be with, then that would be okay," she said, though from her tone I knew she thought that unlikely. I had caught her looking at my neck too, and she no doubt knew about last night. Everyone did, I was sure. "Jaime and Hope are part of the Pack, though they don't play an active role in it as they are not werewolves. We protect them and treat them as our own, but there are some things we can't share with them."

I nodded, understanding this. Elena had told me about Pack hunts. Besides, if I had a non-werewolf partner, how was I going to explain my feelings to him when I didn't even understand them sometimes? Or my reactions, instincts or needs? It was probably still early to even think about it, but I couldn't stop my mind from thinking that Reese seemed like the perfect choice. No, I knew he was the perfect choice. How I knew this I had no idea, but I just did.

"Thank you," I said eventually. Elena smiled at me and told me that whatever doubt I had to just come to her, or anyone I felt comfortable with. I could even go to Max if I wanted too, though she admitted she would prefer it if it was to someone more experienced, and by that I knew she meant older.

"Come on," she said and opened the door, "I'm sure you're hungry." I nodded and followed her out and to the kitchen. I froze in my tracks when we reached the dining room, making Elena ask what was wrong.

"Nothing, I just…I need to use the bathroom," I said, not meeting her eyes in case she saw the lie. She eyed me for a moment and I wondered if she knew I was lying, but a second later she told me not to be too long.

I left the dining room as quickly as I dared and closed the door behind me, heading down the hall. Reese hadn't been in the dining room. This was my chance. Max was distracted by others and that didn't happen often, if at all. But where could he be? Upstairs in one of the rooms? Outside, in the forest? Think, come on, someone was going to notice I was taking too long eventually.

"Basement," I suddenly heard. I spun around and found Noah grinning mischievously at me from the bottom of the staircase.

"What?" I said, trying to look innocent. Noah's smile just widened, telling me he wasn't falling for my act.

"I said basement, Kim," he said and shook his head. "Just make it quick, okay? I'll try to stall Max but I don't think I can do it for long." I stared at him and he just kept smiling at me. When I didn't move or say anything, he sighed and tapped his wrist watch with his finger. "You're running out of time here, Kim, just go already. I know he wants to see you just as much as you want to see him."

I grinned at him. Noah had been nothing but kind to me since I got here and he obviously wanted me to be with Reese. I remembered Max had told me that Reese and Noah were as tight as any blood brothers, so I knew I could trust that Noah would not want to get his brother into trouble, at least I hoped so. He had even said that he would stall Max. He should get a bravery medal for that one.

"Thank you," I said with a shy smile and he nodded, gesturing to the door a bit further down, telling me once more to hurry.

I strode quickly to the door, hearing as Noah went into the dining room, and opened it. My heart was beating wildly within my chest, but I ignored it. I needed to do this and no nervousness or shyness or cowardice was going to get in my way. So taking a deep breath, I stepped inside and closed the door behind me, holding onto the railing as I made my way down into the basement.


End file.
